Support
by Cheapie15
Summary: She was the healer, the sniper, the friend. She was the brothers' support. OC/Edward Elric. Follows 2009 anime
1. The First Day

**Hello! It's me, you sexy beasties.**

 **I know not everyone likes OC inserts, but I really happen to enjoy them. It's a good way to start original writing, even if its only the characters and several subplots. It also really allows the author to get into a good rhythm with pacing.**

 **Note: I am a huge EdWin shipper, don't get me wrong. I'm not going to destroy Winry's character or make her the most annoying person possible. It just happens that Edward will fall in love with someone else who was quicker on the uptake and has spent a longer amount of time with him through his rougher years. I love Winry's character, and she is still going to get her happy ending, don't worry.**

 **Extra Note: If you find this same story on Ao3, do not despair over plagiarism, because it is NOT. I'm just using good marketing skills, haha.**

 **Blanket Disclaimer :) : I do not own Full Metal Alchemist 2003, Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood 2009, or the manga. I only own Michaela and maybe some more characters on the road ahead.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

* * *

The First Day

* * *

Through the window of the speeding train, the countryside passed by quickly as rolling hills formed pastures that formed crop fields that formed small towns on an ever-repeating cycle. Michaela's eyes had long since glazed over at the constantly changing scenery, lost in her thoughts. She wondered was Liore would be like. As far as she knew, the city was set in the middle of a mountain range, with a fairly lush landscape. Kaela had never seen mountains before. She wondered how big they really were.

"Nii-San. Kaela." A metallic voice called Michaela from her thoughts. She turned her head just as the boy across her grunted his response.

Alphonse, who sat next to Edward in the aisle seat, managed to look concerned even though only his helmet was visible. The faint glow of his eyes glanced between his brother and friend.

"The rumors about the priest in Liore..," he began. Both Edward and Michaela turned their full attention to the suit of armor. "Do you think they're true?"

The two glanced at each other. Edward placed two fingers to his temple and scrunched his eyebrows together in thought. "About his miraculous works? They say he can transmute flowers out of thin air, right? It could just be a sleight of hand," he said in a tone of obvious disbelief.

Michaela narrowed her eyes at him. "You're making pessimistic assumptions again, Ed. If you keep having an attitude like that, then it definitely there." She turned to his brother. "I heard from some travelers that they were raising the dead, there."

"So it's possible that it's not just a magic trick," Al said.

"Yeah. And if it's not, it might just be, yeah?" Edward began to grin. He turned to his brother a moment. "Al. Kaela"

"What is it?"

"Hmm?"

"I sure hope this is it this time," he said, the hope spreading across his face, making Michaela smile.

"Mm-hmm," Al said warmly. "Right."

It was silent again. Michaela began looking out the window, losing herself in her memories.

The Rockbells had taken Kaela in one stormy night when she had arrived, hugging her tiny, malnourished body in an attempt to keep herself warm. She only knew one phrase, one she repeated over and over, "My name is Michaela." The Rockbells had determined it to be a case of amnesia, though whether it was because of physical or mental trauma, they were unsure.

Kaela quickly established herself in the household. Winry more or less forced her new sister to become her new playmate to "even it out" when it came to being the only two girls their age in Resembool. Well, they guessed Kaela was around Winry's age; Michaela hadn't been able to remember that either.

Winry's parents had taken to their adoptive child, with her enormous interest in the field of medicine and healing. They taught her the basics and beyond, while Winry's interests wandered into where machinery and human sciences combined. Kaela medicinal knowledge and skills, albeit with slow progress at first, soon surpassed the Rockbell's daughter.

The thirst for the knowledge to help others nearly consumed Kaela. After Winry's parents had gone to serve as surgeons in the war nearly a year later, and Kaela had read all the medical books in their house, she found herself in the neighbor boys' home one day, absorbed in an alchemy book.

This was the real beginning of Kaela and the Elric's friendship. Sure, they had played together with Winry, but neither had made an effort to talk to each other beyond discussing games. Now, the three of them had a common interest outside of Winry.

At first, Edward had been angry to find her in their father's study, books strewn all over the floor. He and Alphonse already got in trouble enough when they did that. Then, he had realized that Kaela had found a book they hadn't seen before, and his anger was replaced with curiosity. Alphonse always followed behind, apologizing for his older brother's brusque behavior.

So after a while, it was no surprise to the boys' mother, Trisha Elric, when she found them in the study, alchemy and science booked scattered everywhere Al and Kaela lying on their stomachs engrossed in a book, and Edward drawing a strange symbol on the floor with chalk.

"Oh, my," she said, a mixture of exasperation crossing her face. "Messing up your dad's study, again?" Upon seeing the chalk on the floor, she gasped. "No, you mustn't scribble there like that."

"It's not scribbling! Watch," Edward said, looking up at his mother. A flash of blue lightning lit the room.

Her face transformed in surprise as she stared at the wooden bird on the floor. "That's alchemy, right?" She crouched down to the children's level. "Did your dad teach you that?"

"How can we learn anything from someone who's not here?"

"We read the book, and it was written in there," Al said. Kaela held the book up, its strange symbols on the cover similar to that which was on the floor.

"It was written in there?" Trisha asked dubiously.

The Elric brothers sagged simultaneously. "Should we not have done it?"

Kaela hesitated and said, "I'm sorry, Ma'am."

"No, don't be sorry at all!" It was like a switch had been flipped. Trisha clapped her hands together and beamed at her children. "Amazing! You're your father's sons, all right! Mom is so proud of all three of you."

Kaela felt a warm twist in her chest. Though Yuriy and Sarah Rockbell had acted like her guardians and had supplied her with unconditional love, Trisha had just dubbed herself Kaela's "mom." Edward and Alphonse smiled to each other, already taking for granted what Kaela had never experienced before.

After that, Kaela found herself almost always in the Elric house. Trisha never minded, and always insisted on Kaela also calling her "Mom." The brothers warmed up to their new peer as they studied and exchanged information, all three gushing over each new thing they found.

So when Trisha passed away, Kaela felt the devastation right alongside the brothers. Though unsure of how to comfort her new friends, she remained a constant in their everyday lives. Whether it was simply being another human in their house or making them dinner, she stayed. Edward and Alphonse were the only friends she had, except Winry.

She overheard them one evening when Pinako asked her to bring them over to the Rockbell house for supper. Kaela had searched everywhere for them, though she knew exactly where they would be: the cemetery.

"He didn't even come home for Mom's funeral!" Kaela heard Ed shout from the entrance. She quietly made her way toward them. A few moments later, when she was close enough to hear, Ed whispered to his brother, "Maybe we could bring Mom back."

Her heart stopped. Bring Trisha back? As in back from the dead? But that would mean…

Alphonse voiced her thoughts. "But it was written in one of the books that creating people is something you're not allowed to do."

"That's why it will be our secret." Edward stood. He was only a child, and yet his shoulders sagged as if the weight of the world was using him as a crutch.

"You're here again." A voice behind Kaela made her jump. Ed and Al turned to look and see who the voice belonged to. Oh, no. Edward's eyes rested on her, a burning fury surfacing. Kaela flinched and instead faced Winry.

Ed must have chosen to ignore the fact that Kaela had definitely overheard the brothers, and a called, "What do you two want?"

"Grandma says that every time you think of a dead person and cry," Winry said, "the more tears you shed, the more the person in the next world feels sad, too." Pinako must have sent Winry to go find the three of them when Kaela hadn't returned. Kaela made her way over to her sister.

"We're not crying!" Ed yelled. "What about you? Your mom and dad are always out somewhere, and you cry because you miss them."

"Wha- I don't cry!" Winry retorted, her face flushing with embarrassment. Kaela reached her sister and placed a hand on her shoulder, sending a flash of her own wrath to the boy. Winry had only been trying to make them feel better, and yet he had lashed out at her. Deep inside, though, she knew that Ed was only hurt, an animal unwilling to let anyone else treat its wounds.

Winry and Edward bantered between each other for a while longer before Winry dashed to her house without Kaela, upset and frustrated. As she ran off, Edward didn't say a word as he strode over to Kaela.

Their noses nearly touched when he growled, "If you say anything to anyone, I won't see your face again." Alphonse quickly ran in between the two, trying to ease the tension in the middle by placing his hands on their shoulders.

Kaela scowled. Though Ed could be a brute, he didn't scare her anymore. Earlier, she had felt guilty for overhearing what was supposed to be a private conversation, but something had struck Kaela at that moment, and she was glad she had heard it.

"What if I helped you, instead?"

Both Edward and Alphonse's eyes grew rounder than the moon at her suggestion. Kaela felt a pile of nerves settle in her stomach, but she refused to back off. This was her way of helping them. This was how she would repay them for their kindness. Trisha's kindness.

"Why?" Edward's voice cracked slightly, his face falling and eyebrows knitting.

Kaela felt the urge to look away. "She was my mom, too."

"We're not related."

"Maybe not by blood," Kaela said, taking Al's hand from her shoulder and Ed's from his side, squeezing them both. "But she's the closest person I've had to one."

All three of their eyes watered as the brothers nodded in unison, signaling their approval.

A few days later on the way to school, Winry stated, "You're reading from a book that's not from school, again." When Edward stayed quiet, she prodded further. "Say, what sort of book are you reading?"

"It's a secret." Alphonse grinned from her right.

"Kaela, do you know anything about this?" On Winry's left, Kaela only hummed in response, giving off neither positive nor negative connotations.

"It's none of your business, anyway, Winry," Ed said from the front of the group.

Winry huffed in response. "No fair! You three always keep secrets between yourselves!"

Al chuckled as he ran to catch up with his brother. "Bye, now! We'll meet you later, Kaela," he called.

"Bye-bye!"

"Ed! Al! We're having stew tonight!" Winry called. Alphonse whooped and pumped his fist into the air whereas Edward simple gave a casual confirmation of his required presence.

Those days were so relaxed compared what was to come. It was decided that Ed and Al would do the actual transmutation, given their talent exceeded mine. But everything else, Kaela managed to force her way into. Even when Ed and Al left to train under an alchemy teacher, she was able to convince Granny that she would watch out for them and make sure they didn't get into trouble. Throughout the next couple of years, they read and studied, studied and practiced. The trio garnered enough knowledge that State Alchemists would achieve in a decade, through sheer determination and the wish live happily with Trisha Elric once more.

The day of the actual transmutation, the brothers did their work down in the basement of their house while Kaela stood guard upstairs, acting as the lookout. As much as she wished to help, she knew with her lesser skills that she wouldn't be as useful as she was as the scout. It was maybe only twenty minutes since Kaela had seen Edward sign his draft of human transmutation that he had written for future reference that she heard a strange sound from below.

"Ed? Al?" Kaela shouted down the basement stairway.

And then she heard him. "Nii-san, Nii-san! Nii-san!

"Al!" She skipped two stairs on the way down. Edward's screams of agony flooded Kaela's ears as she reached the bottom.

What she saw before her was burned forever into her mind.

A blue glow filled the room, coming from the easily distinguishable transmutation symbol on the floor written in chalk. In the center, a disgusting, dripping, black … thing moaned. On the edge of the circle where the creature faced, Alphonse's clothes lay flat on the stone floor, as if he had vanished. And the blood. Oh, God, the blood. A blood trail of crimson red lead to Edward crawling toward the circle with his left leg only a blood, squirting stump.

"Edward!" Kaela rushed over to him, horror contorting her face. "Ed! What happened! Where's Al?"

Ed ignored her as he slapped an arm onto the floor, dragging himself forward. "Damn! This can't be happening!" He cried. "It wasn't … It wasn't supposed to … damn it all!"

He looked behind him, tears of anger and pain dripping from his eyes. "It's been taken away!" Edward fell to the ground and mumbled several things, looking toward the center of the circle. Kaela grimaced.

The creatures breaths became labored as it reached out, blood splattering the cold stone below. Edward's face became more and more aghast as the blood seeped from what was supposed to be his mother. "No … this is wrong … this isn't … this isn't what we wanted!"

Kaela grit her teeth and crouched down, staring into Edwards eyes that were now just seeing her. "Edward! What happened?"

"Kae … Kaela?" Edward was shocked for only a moment before his expression became hardened. "Help me!"

"How?"

He pointed to the enormous suit of armor on the wall. "Bring me that … I gotta save Alphonse!"

Kaela didn't question it. Edward had read far more of his father's books than she had, and he would surely know a way to bring his brother back. She hauled the armor over to him, and it clattered to the ground.

"Damn it, damn it!" Edward cried out almost manically. "Give him back! He's my brother!" He drew a strange symbol on the armor in his own blood, one that looked only vaguely familiar. "Take my leg, take my arm! Take my heart! You can have it! So, give him back! He's my only brother!"

Edward clapped his hands together, an alchemical light sprung forth.

After that, Kaela didn't remember much. Everything else was a blur. She barely remembered trudging home with a suit of armor that talked like Alphonse did, carrying his brother who was missing two of his limbs.

Eventually, Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye had barged into Granny's home and yelled, "We went to your house! What was that over there? What did you make?!" Edward's broken face mirrored how all three of us felt inside. Kaela wordlessly shoved Mustang, causing him to drop Edward back into his wheelchair. Before Mustang could start after her, too, Alphonse placed a gauntlet hand on the officer's arm.

"We're sorry. Please forgive us." Kaela couldn't look at the man in blue. Her guilt overflowed to heavily, and she knew he could see it, too. She should have stopped them that day at the cemetery. She should have been down there with them in the basement. Al repeated, "We're sorry … we're sorry … we're sorry."

"This is a surprise," Mustang had said once they had all sat down like civilized people at the dinner table. Granny sat at the opposite end of the officer, while Edward and Kaela sat on the sides, with Alphonse standing guard behind his brother. Winry had been sent into another room shortly prior. "I had heard that there was a brilliant alchemist here, so I came to see him, but I never imagined that a child like this could ever perform human transmutation, imperfect though it was, and even bond a soul. He is more than qualified to become a state alchemist.

"Once he becomes a state alchemist, he will have to serve as a soldier in the event of an emergency, but at the same time, he will receive various special privileges, and research of the highest level will become possible for him. They may even find a way to get their bodies back, or -"

Granny smacked her pipe into the ashtray, although no one even flinched. She spoke with a hard voice. "After he came stumbling in her, covered with blood, I went over to their house. What was there …" Granny glanced down and shivered. "What was there was not human! Is alchemy what created that horrific thing? I'm against it! Would you have these boys go through hell again?"

Mustang looked at Edward, unfazed by Granny's objection. "I'm not forcing you. I'm just offering you the possibility. Will you end your days in despair, or will you seek the possibilities and bow to the military? If the possibility is there, you should move forward, in order to get your bodies back. Even if the way ahead is through a river of mud."

The man then stood. "I must take my leave. If you decide to take up our offer, head to Amestris and make your way to headquarters. Tell them Roy Mustang sent for you." And with that, the Lieutenant Colonel left the house, taking Hawkeye with him.

The following year, Edward and Alphonse trained in their bodies, while she had gotten her hands on a hand pistol. Edward had advanced a hundred times further after the incident, and Alphonse was still head and shoulders above Kaela in terms of skill. Instead, she trained herself to be used by the brothers as a means of support, whether it was through patching Edward up or covering his back from far away.

When Edward came back from his certification, Kaela demanded to go with him on his journey.

"What? No way!"

"What do you mean, no way?"

"This isn't your fight, Michaela!." Ed's scathing tone no longer bit her as they had three years ago. Kaela shrugged it off.

"I was there, Ed. I could have stopped you. I could have helped you. The weight is still there." She pursed her lips as she nearly stared down at him. "Besides. You'll need someone to patch you up and guard your back, and though Al can handle the latter, I doubt he'll be able to put a thread through the eye of a needle and sew skin together."

Al rose his hand for a moment, then lowered it in defeat. Ed huffed and looked away, frustrated.

"What about Winry?"

"She's a lot less likely to get herself killed."

"Fine. Fine. You can come with. It's not like I've ever been able to stop you before." A small grin ghosted his lips.

Kaela woke with a start, jolted from a bump in the tracks. She blinked wearily, a yawn escaping her as she stretched her back. In front of her, Edward rested asleep against the window, oblivious the coming of dawn. Glancing over at Al, always awake, he gave what would be considered his version of a smile through the glow of his eyes.

The suit of armor turned the small boy pinched between him and the window. He nudged him gently. "Nii-san, we're almost there."

Edward's eyes opened slowly, and he focused on something in the distance. He grinned deviously.

"The Philosopher's Stone!"

* * *

 **Hello, lovelies! Thanks for finishing the chapter!**

 **As you can probably tell, I'm going to follow as close to the 2009 anime as possible, though the plot _will_ change with the inclusion of Michaela in the plot. **

**If you catch any inconsistencies, whether they are just in the FF or when compared to the original story, please PM me! I think I weeded out all the grammar mistakes, but you can never be to sure.**

 **Please leave a review and tell me what you think! I'll answer most of my reviews in the next chapter!**


	2. City of Heresy

**Hello, my lovelies!**

 **Wow, this chapter is _looonnnnggg_. Well, it's only a little more than 6000 words, but that's a lot to handle when you have to go back and forth, back and forth between the show and your writing to make sure everything is as accurate as possible! However, anything for you beautiful people!**

 **Enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

City of Heresy

* * *

Liore was a fairly small city (though much larger than Resembool) with an enormous cathedral in the center that could be seen for miles. The mountains surrounding it kept the wind at bay, and the sun peaked out from behind them around breakfast time, making it a lovely day.

The three alchemists sat at an outdoor bar, still groggy from the train ride that ended merely thirty minutes prior. While Edward chugged his orange juice and scarfed some unidentifiable meat, Michaela took her time sipping her tea and chewing her peanut butter sandwich. It wasn't often the trio was able to sit down and eat like this; often times, it was food on the go or none at all. She peeked over at Ed, still munching on what Kaela hoped was sausage, and grimaced. Sure, Alphonse wasn't in his own body, but he had been taller than his older brother when he was ten. Despite all of the food Ed could manage to stuff in his stomach, he hadn't grown more than an inch in the last four years.

"Ed." Kaela nudged his elbow with hers to get his attention. His eyes slid over to her as he took an enormous bite, grunting to show that he was listening. Kaela eyed the orange juice for a moment before speaking. "You should start ordering milk."

The state alchemist nearly choked on his food, his eyes bulging. Al began frantically patting his back in an attempt to keep his brother from asphyxiating. When he regained his composure, Ed whipped around in his chair to glare at her.

"You're just as bad as Winry," he began, pointing a finger at her. "No, you're worse! You have been hounding me for months now. You … you're as bad as Granny!"

"You're just as short." Kaela had to force her mouth into a firm line to keep herself from laughing. Although it was true that she worried about how it had been a while since Ed was supposed to hit puberty, Kaela couldn't help but turn it into a game: how many times is one able to nag Ed until he physically imploded?

While Ed began yelling obscenities at her, which only equated to around twelve-year-old banter, Kaela turned her attention to the radio as she sipped her tea. An old man's voice crackled its way through the box over Al's head in a rhythmic pulse, one that was meant for persuasion.

"God's children, who live upon this land, pray in faith, and ye shall be saved. The Sun God Leto-"

"Are you guys street performers?" The man running the bar asked with suspicion in his eyes. Ed, who had taken a quick break from yelling at Kaela, spit out his juice.

"Where do you get the idea we're street performers?" He asked demandingly, slamming his cup down. Kaela could only roll her eyes. How could they _not_ look like street performers? An enormous man running around in a full suit of foreign armor and a small boy dressed in clothes that belonged to the rich folk of Amerstris? Not to mention a girl with a handgun on each hip and thick bandages covering her hands.

"You're not, then?"

"Thanks for the lunch." Ed stood up, a heavy sigh escaping his lips.

"Wait, this isn't breakfast?" Kaela asked almost pleadingly. When Ed shot her a look, she hung her head, wishing she had ordered more food. She and Al stood at the same time to leave. Unfortunately, Al his head on the top roof of the bar, and knocked the radio where it had sat on the lip.

The bartender cried out and said in an angry tone, "Hey, excuse me, mister!"

Ed's face did a complete turn around as he smiled at the flustered man. "Sorry, sorry. We can fix it."

"Thank God we can, because Al is the reason we can't have nice things," Kaela said with a cheeky grin, patting the suit of armor on its shoulder.

"Don't make fun of me, Kaela. I still don't have a good feel for this body." Al pouted. He crouched down and pulled out a piece of chalk, already drawing the transmutation circle within seconds. A crowd of people came to see the commotion going on. Al stood, placed one hand over the other, and said, "Okay, I'm doing it now!"

In a flash of light, the radio was good as new, if not better. Ed attempted to keep his pride in check, asking the bartender, "Does that take care of it?"

"This is a surprise!" said the bartender, unable to take his eyes from the radio that was magically pieced back together. "You guys can perform miraculous works?"

Ed immediately slumped over, his face incredulous at the man who seemed to know nothing of alchemy. Kaela didn't outwardly show this like Edward, but it did cause her to pause. Was there no usage of alchemy in these parts, besides the priest of Liore? And if so, that meant the priest would be passing alchemy off as "miraculous works."

While Al was, for about the hundredth time, confused for being the Fullmetal Alchemist, and Ed was royally ticked off, for about the millionth time, for being called something akin to a midget, Kaela turned the radio back on.

"So what's with the broadcast?" Ed said once he'd calmed down.

"That's Father Cornello."

Another customer said, "He appeared in this town several years ago, and preached to us the ways of God. He gives immortality to the living, and resurrection to the dead. His miraculous works are proof of it."

"'Ressurection to the dead,' huh? Sounds fishy," Ed muttered.

"So, have you ever seen the priest of this town perform these … miracles?" She asked, sitting back down.

"Ah, no! Not close up, at least." The man scratched his mustache momentarily before continuing. "But he can create flowers from rocks, and rocks to flowers. I've also heard several rumors of him being able to raise the dead."

All of those concerned Kaela, because none of them followed the law of alchemy: to create something, you must take from another of equal value.

"There's going to be an outdoor mass at the cathedral in an hour if you'd like to see it yourself," the bartender said quickly, noticing her sudden silence. Kaela instantly perked up when she heard this, nodding her head.

"Thank you so much, sir," she said taking a hold of Al's hand and Ed's upper arm. Both were startled. "For both the food and the information. We'll see you around!"

As the trio left grumbling (mainly bickering between Ed and Kaela, with Al attempting to keep the peace), the bartender shook his head as he cleared away their plates. "Today is _definitely_ a Tuesday."

* * *

"Father Cornello!"

"Show us your miraculous works!"

Cherry blossoms rained from the sky, though sakura trees wouldn't normally be able to survive in this particular climate. An older priest, bald, maybe in his early sixties, in front of an enormous crowd took one of the flowers into his hands and brought it to his face. A red light erupted from his fists. When he removed a hand, a flower made of gems and crystal replaced the petal.

"Is that it? What do you think?" Ed asked from the top of his suitcase.

"No way around it, that metamorphic reaction is alchemy," Al said. Kaela nodded

"He's duping a lot of people," she said from her perch on Al's shoulders.

"He's ignoring equivalent exchange. The law is that only one volume of mass can come from the same volume of mass." Edward squinted at the smiling man who waved to the crowd of people.

"He's changing vegetable into mineral, too," Al added. Kaela patted his head and he lifted his arms above his head, grabbed her waist, and set her down on the ground with ease.

"Have you guys noticed what's around his finger?" She asked as she dusted herself off. "A ring, with a bright red gem fused into it. Kaela glanced between the two of them. "The light that is emitted from his alchemy is the same color."

Ed furrowed his eyebrows as he squinted even further. "How can you see that far?" Kaela only shrugged.

"Nii-san, it might be …"

"Yeah, it could be." Edward's eye's narrowed. "Bingo."

When the mass, though it was more like a magic show than anything else, ended and the church bells were ringing, the three alchemists made their way into the cathedral. The sanctuary was empty save for a lone girl praying to a stone statue as tall as the ceiling at the altar of the room. They approached her.

"O God, please grant me my wish," they heard her say when they came closer. "Please bring him-"

"Eh? So this is Leto?" Edward called from the aisle. Kaela took this opportunity to look at the statue, but nothing in particular stood out to her. All false gods look the same: regal, tall, handsome, perfect.

The girl stood, her dusty pink bangs against black striking Kaela more than the statue. "Are you interested in Letoism?"

"No, unfortunately, I'm areligious."

"Well, that won't do." The girl closed her eyes and smiled. "To believe in and worship God, and live with gratitude and hope … It's such a marvelous thing. If you believe, I'm sure you will grow taller!" The look of sincere determination on the girl's face was almost comical. Al had to hold Ed back before he could hit the poor girl. Kaela took this opportunity to sit in one of the pews and relax.

"Hey, what was that for?!"

"She didn't mean any harm." Al tried to soothe his brother. Of course, it worked. Ed plopped himself next to Kaela, more than slightly pissed, and crossed his legs and propping his elbows up onto the lip of the backrest.

"'Resurrection to the dead.' Do you truly believe that?" He asked, his tone flat as he stared up at the young woman. She closed her eyes.

"Yes."

Ed huffed out an exasperated sigh and reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a black book the size of his own gloved hand. "Water, 35 liters; carbon, 20 kilograms; ammonia, 4 liters; lime, 1.5 kilograms …"

As Ed listed off each element and their unit, Kaela noticed the confusion in the woman's eyes, causing her to snort. Whenever Ed brings up anything alchemically related or starts spouting chemical jargon, most people's faces contort into a similar form of pure bewilderment.

"... and various other stuff."

"... huh?"

Ed snapped the book shut. "That's the material makeup of a human body, calculated for one adult," he said, leaning forward and placing his elbows onto his knees. "With our science now, we that much, but there has never been one reported case of a successful human transmutation actually taking place." His face scrunched as he looked up to meet her gaze with an intensity that Kaela only ever saw when dealing with this particular subject. "Are you telling me that what can't be done by science can be done through prayer?"

"Pray in faith, and thy entreaties shall be accorded thee." The young woman countered.

"Incidentally, if you go to the market," Ed reached back and folded his hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling, " you can buy all of these components with the change a small child might carry. Humans can be made cheap." He chuckled slightly. Al and Kaela shared a knowing look.

"People aren't things! Your words are blasphemy against the Creator!" she said with a steady yet scolding tone. Ed looked momentarily surprised, probably because of her consistent arguments. "You're going to incur Heaven's wrath."

He laughed. "Alchemists are scientists, you see. We don't believe in creators, God, or anything like that." He stared up at her again. "We lay bare the creative principles of this world and pursue truth. It's ironic that we scientists, who do not believe in a God, are in a sense the closest ones to being gods."

"Are you saying you're on the same level as God? Such hubris!"

By now, the devout woman was visibly furious, staring back at the younger boy at a close attempt to match the force of his gaze. But the emotion in her eyes was not the same. Yes, there was sorrow and anger, but Edward's eyes held those and something much stronger than both combined: guilt and experience.

"Hubris, huh? Now that you mention it, it was in a myth somewhere. There was a hero, who got too close to the sun, and his wings, made of hardened wax, were torn off, and he was thrust down to the earth. Am I right?" Al's eyes dimmed in their glow, and Ed closed his eyes. Kaela reached for Al's hand, which hung limply at his side near him, and squeezed it, though she was careful not to let her face betray the memories rushing before her eyes.

"Nii-san …"

With that, the mood somehow changed in a millisecond, and Ed lept to his feet from the pew, leaving a warmth next to Kaela. His manner completely spun around, and he placed a careful smile onto his face. "Miss, do you think that Leto will even save a scientist like myself who thinks what I just said?" He bowed at the waist to pull off the entire act.

The woman, noticing nothing, clasped her hands together and beamed. "Of course! He will accept your repentance at any time. Father Cornello would be happy to explain how wonderful Leto and Letoism is. Would you like to meet with him?"

"We sure would. Lead the way, miss," Ed said with a cheeky grin once she turned away. The trio followed her down the halls until arriving at a large door.

"These three would like to speak with Father Cornello, please," she said to one of the guards standing by. The guard looked at the group behind her and rose a quick brow before returning his focus to the woman.

"Names?"

"The Elric Brothers." Kaela shot a glare at Ed, to which he stuck his tongue out. She knew better, though. Just the name "Elric" could get them into most places, but, as a security measure, they didn't announce her oftentimes in case something went wrong along the way.

The guard left through the door, but not without giving Kaela one last suspicious look.

"Say, I never did ask you for your names," the young woman said cheerily, spinning around on her heel to face them. "My name is Rose."

"I'm Edward Elric." Ed grinned and placed his hands behind his head. "Ever heard of me?"

Poor Rose looked only more frazzled. "I'm sorry, but, no, I haven't."

While Kaela smacked Ed on the back of his head for his troublesome pride, Al quickly intervened. "I'm his younger brother, Alphonse."

"Younger ..?"

"And I'm Michaela Rockbell, their neighbor."

Rose smiled widely. "It's fantastic to meet you all. I'm sure Father Cornello will be pleased to meet you, too." She glanced at the door. "Speaking of which, we should be invited in any minute, now."

And just like that, the door opened. A tanned man with a harsh face and no facial hair to speak of stood in the doorway. "Come this way," he said as he lead them through the door. "The Father is quite busy and cannot make very much time, but you are in luck."

"Sorry. We'll keep this as brief as we can," Ed said with an amused expression, though from what Kaela was unsure of.

"Yes, indeed." From behind, Kaela couldn't tell what he was doing, but their guide seemed to be pulling something from his coat. Her eyes narrowed as her fingers twitched toward her hip. "Let's bring an end to this quickly."

Behind them, the door shut. At the same time that their guide pulled a gun out, Kaela was already pointing a handgun at him. However, a guard knocked the gun out of her hands and threw it to the side, bringing her arms behind her back just tight enough that it nearly ripped her arm from her socket. She winced in pain slightly as she glanced over at Ed only to find him trapped behind spears. He flashed a worried look at her.

"Assistant Pastor, what are you doing?" Rose cried.

"Rose, these people are heathens who seek to ensnare the Father. They are wicked!" The priest said, his gun never moving away from Al, who had gone stiff.

"Oh, no!" Rose said.

"As you said, let's end this quickly!" Ed interrupted, only looking more annoyed by the second. He nodded to Kaela before swiftly incapacitating the guards that blocked his path.

Kaela slammed a foot into her captor's shin, and he loosened his grip. In the split second that she was free, she brought her leg up and spun towards him, his neck making a sharp _crack_ as her calf and his head connected.

While the assistant pastor was startled by this, Al landed his fist into the man's teeth, knocking him out cold. He let go of his gun as he slumped to the ground, Rose making a slight gasp of horror as it slid to her feet.

"Strike!" Ed shouted with a smirk as he threw a spear at one of the guards running away, knocking him out, too. Kaela could only roll her eyes.

"Such a racket!" A voice echoed through the large stone hall, surprising each of them. Father Cornello appeared from the shadows, a nonchalant smile painted on his face. "Welcome to our sacred order, Fullmetal Alchemist."

"Father Cornello!" Rose called, her expression instantly lifting.

"It looks like we had some rather disrespectful fellows here. I apologize for their rudeness."

"It's no apology, looking down on us from up there," Ed said.

"Have you come to receive our doctrine?" The priest asked, ignoring Ed's comment.

"I would like you to teach it to me, by all means. Like how you use cheap alchemy to deceive your believers." At this accusation, Rose's face fell as she looked to Edward.

Playing along, Father Cornello still smiled. "Now, what could you mean by that? I won't have you equating my miraculous works with alchemy." He proceeded to bring up his hands, a red light brightening around them. As he revealed a miniature statue of Leto, he continued, "What do you say? Can alchemy bring this about?"

"That's the thing about it. How are you able to transmute while ignoring the laws?" Ed brought a hand up to his head.

"As I said, this isn't alchemy." Father Cornello's smile was beginning to droop.

"That's when I started thinking if he were an alchemist using an enchanted amplifier of legend said to make the impossible possible, then maybe he could do that."

"You mean …"

"Yes, exactly. The Philosopher's Stone. That's what that ring of yours is, isn't it?" The more Ed spoke, the more furious he sounded. Kaela glanced at Father Cornello, whose ring was glowing faintly in the darkness. Ed's voice lowered. "I've been looking for that.

"This is just an ordinary ring. I have been permitted by God to perform miraculous works." The smile was back, but Kaela noticed its cracks and the repetitiveness of his words.

"Are you still pretending?" The young alchemist began walking toward the staircase where Father Cornello stood. "It looks like I'm just going to have to grab you, and beat it out of you."

"You appear to be quite the incorrigible heathen." The priest's voice was condescending, despite his smile disappearing. "Rose."

"Y-Yes?" Rose looked up at him, terrified.

"Pick up that gun lying on the floor there."

"Huh? Okay." She did so.

"Now shoot the Fullmetal Alchemist with it."

Kaela, Ed, and Al all whipped around to face Rose, wary of the assistant priest's pistol now in her hands, Kaela, glad for her second gun, slowly pulled it out its holster.

"No … I can't," Rose said.

"My word is God's word. This is the will of God." Shadows menacingly covered Cornello's face, a malicious smirk creeping back onto his lips. "Rose. Shoot him."

Like a puppet on strings, Rose brought the gun up to her chest, although her face and her shaking body still betrayed her feelings.

"What's wrong? When you lost your boyfriend in an accident last year, who was it that saved you from the very depths of despair?" Cornello's words brought on another gasp through her body. Kaela made her way slowly to the side of Rose, out of her peripheral vision.

"You, Father Cornello."

"That's right. I saved you. And what did I promise you?"

"That you would bring him back to life!" Rose shouted this, perhaps as motivation for herself, and pointed the gun at Al.

"Er, um, I'm not him!" Al said most likely out of force of habit. Rose looked up, dazed and glanced at Ed who was flailing in anger.

" _I'm_ the Fullmetal Alchemist, dammit!" Kaela couldn't help but roll her eyes again.

"You mean, _you're_ the one?!" Father Cornello stepped back. This would have been almost comical if Rose wasn't ready to the state alchemist.

In all seriousness, Rose aimed the gun, this time much more steadily, at Ed. His expression became grim as he stared at the young woman. Kaela worked to reposition herself so that Rose's hands were still in her line of sight.

"I'm sorry. I have no choice but to do this."

"He's a swindler," Ed tried.

"You're wrong!" Rose exclaimed. "Father Cornello is going to bring him back with his miraculous works!"

"Then shoot."

Rose brought the gun closer to her chest, which no one should _ever_ do. Kaela couldn't get in a good shot without harming the woman. The gun went off, and so did Al's head.

"Al!"

The gun grew farther away from Rose as she stared at her actions in horror, and Kaela took her chance. She aimed her secondary gun and fired. Rose's gun flew from her hands and landed onto the floor. But Rose didn't even notice. She stared at the headless suit of armor and screamed.

"That will do. God is pleased. Now, shoot the other one, too."

"What an awful thing to make your believer do." Al's voice echoed even more without his helmet. Ed grabbed it as Al began to stand.

"What?!" The priest yelled out.

"What is going on?" Rose asked. Kaela felt bad. This had to be the most confusing day of the young girl's life.

"Nothing to it," Ed said as if Rose should have already known. He knocked on Al's chest, the sound resonating through the suit of metal. Kael hurried over to the brothers and pulled Al's neck down so that Rose could see the inside of the armor.

"This is what's going on," Al said, pointing at the hollow blackness. Rose gasped into her hand.

Kaela let go of Al's neck guard so he could stand up straight, and Ed handed him his helm, which he promptly put on.

"An empty suit of armor! Indeed, this is proof that these people are wicked!" Cornello backed away from the edge of the staircase and moved toward to the wall. "They should be purged!" He grabbed a lever on the wall that Kaela hadn't noticed before.

Nearby, an iron gate raised to reveal eyes glowing red akin to the priest's alchemy. The hulking beast stepped forward, the head of a lion followed by the behind of a rooster and the tail of a snake.

"Is this the first time you've seen a Chimera?" Father Cornello asked, eyes sliding over to the creature with a sly glare.

Somewhat nonchalantly, Ed and Al eyed the Chimera as it separated them and Kaela. "You even made this with your Philosopher's stone?" Ed asked. "This could be trouble, taking him on unarmed." He clapped his hand and set them on the stone floor. Blue lightning crackled as a stone spear rose, leaving a semi-sphere hole where the minerals were taken from the floor. The young alchemist grabbed it once it finished.

"No transmutation circle!" Cornello stepped back, surprise crossing his face. "I guess the State Alchemist title is not just for show, then. However ..!" The Chimera roared, the cry shrill and loud. Ed moved to guard himself with the newly made weapon. The beast swatted its paw, breaking the spear's head off from the shaft and ripping part of Ed's pant leg. "Well? How do you like the taste of claws that can cut through iron?"

"Gotcha!" Ed said. The Chimera's claws proceeded to break off before its eyes. Ed kicked at the beast and it pounced away, landing in a defensive position. "Unfortunately for you, this was specially-made."

"Bite him to death!" The Chimera obeyed, bounding forward, the ground rumbling with each step it took. It managed to grab a hold of Ed's right arm. It seemed genuinely surprised when it could not bite through the appendage.

"What's wrong pussy? Get a good taste." Ed's leg shot up, kicking the lion face square in the jaw. During this, Kaela quickly made her way over to Al and Rose, who was trembling at the sight of the battle.

"Your arm…" Cornello began. "A brother who is just armor … I get it." He grinned. "So that's what's going on."

Ed whipped off his coat, shredded and torn to pieces, revealing an arm made entirely from steel and an ugly scar at the base. Kaela glanced over at Rose's completely shocked face and huffed. Sometimes her neighbor could be so dramatic.

"Fullmetal Alchemist, you went and did it, didn't you?!"

"Come on down here, third-string! Let me show you how outclassed you are!"

"Rose, these people have performed human transmutation, the greatest taboo for any alchemist! They tried to bring someone dead back to life," Father Cornello said, not noticing the mistake in his words.

Kaela, glanced over, curious. She saw the gears working in the young woman's eye and knew what she had to be thinking: Rose had been lied to. Kaela placed a hand on Rose's shoulder. "Father Cornello does not have the power to bring back your boyfriend. Not without a sacrifice," she said as soothingly as possible.

"It can't be …"

Addressing Rose, Ed flatly said, "This is what someone who trespasses in God or whoever's domain looks like. Rose, are you prepared to become like this?"

"Heh heh heh, Edward Elric, to think you became a State Alchemist like that! It's laughable" Cornello, disregarding the revelation Rose was experiencing, chuckled down at Ed. Kaela found herself glaring up at the old man. He, who had never gone through the experience, could not _ever_ understand the pain Ed and Al had gone through. He could never know of the loneliness and dysphoria Alphonse had and still was experiencing. He would never even _imagine_ the guilt that ran bone deep in Edward. And for those around the brothers, Cornello wouldn't even step foot where their family and friends could barely toe the line, unsure of where their boundaries were and weren't.

"Shut up. You're just a third-rate phony that can't do anything without a Philosopher's Stone," Ed yelled back.

"Father, we want you to hand over the Stone before you get hurt." Al stretched out his hands as both a peace offering and a receptacle for the Stone.

"Ridiculous! You fools, who would tread upon God's domain! This time, I will send you back to God for good!" Cornello tapped his cane onto the ring and it transformed into a large machine gun.

Just as he took aim, Ed made a wall to shield Al, Rose, Kaela, and him. Cornello's firing created a huge plume of dust, hiding the wall of stone. The priest made an audible sound of confusion.

"Nah, God probably hates me, after all," Ed said once the smoke cleared, revealing the cratered wall. "If I went there, I think he'd just turn me away." Al took this as his cue to pick up Rose and sprint for the door, Kaela leading the way. Father Cornello took aim and fired, the bullets embedding themselves into his armor.

"Al! Kaela!" Ed clapped his hands and ran after them, making a large stone door on the wall. The quartet let themselves through, knocking over several of Cornello's men dressed in white.

Father Cornello followed shortly behind, but it was too late. They had already escaped down the hall.

At the end of the corridor, they ran into a T-intersection with several of the priest's henchmen guarding the exit. They all were grinning, underestimating the group's leader.

"Stop!"

"Hey, boy, what are you going to do empty-handed?"

"Surrender before you get hurt."

Ed's face went blank before he began cackling as little kids do, clapping his hands together as his automail arm transformed into a large, serrated scythe. The men took a moment to take it in, screams of fear following soon after.

From there it was to each his own. Kaela punched a few to the floor, sticking to roundhousing and dropkicking once her knuckles began bruising. How annoying. Now she would have to heal them later.

Al muscled (or would it be metaled?) his way through, creating a path for Ed and Kaela to follow and leaving a trail of bodies behind them.

* * *

Later, near the bell tower of the cathedral, Alphonse, Michaela, and Rose sat waiting for Edward to make his way to the priest's office.

"Do you see now, Rose?" Al asked quietly as he set down one of the church bells he had wrenched down from the bell tower, a cord connected to it running into the cathedral. Behind him, Kaela worked tirelessly picking out the bullets from his armor with tweezers. "Cornello shot at us, even though you were there."

"That was because you were … Is it true what he said back there?" Rose stood in front of them, clutching her chest.

Al paused. "All we wanted to do was see our mom's smiling face again." He stared up at her before continuing his work, drawing the transmutation circle around the bell. "But our transmutation failed. It didn't even have human form."

Rose sucked in a breath as the wind brushed back her hair.

"They didn't fail because they messed up. The ingredients were correct, they followed all the right rituals," Kaela added from behind Al, working at one particular bullet that was a little stubborn with tweezers. She pulled it out with a grunt. "Ed was and is the smartest person I know, even at eleven years old. Even though most of the time he acts like a prideful doofus, he studied his father's alchemy books harder than Al and I combined."

"You helped them?"

Kaela looked up, hesitating. "I did. And I should have done more."

Rose didn't comment any further on that. "... Then, what went wrong?"

"We were made to realize our mistake," Al said in a low, hollow voice. "People do not come back from the dead. Even our mom."

"That can't be true. But-"

"The basis of alchemy is equivalent exchange. The price of our human transmutation was enormous. Nii-san's left leg and my whole body were taken away." He stopped his work and removed his helmet, exposing the seal on the neck of the armor. "Do you see it? Nii-san drew it with his own blood. His left leg had been taken away. He had to have been in pain. But, Nii-san transmuted my soul in exchange for his right arm and bonded me to this suit of armor."

Al replaced the helm back into the groove of the neck guard. He resumed his work once again. "I want to restore Nii-san's body back to the way it was. He wants to get me back to normal, too. We might even lose our lives as a result. That's the karmic nature of the path we chose."

"But, Father Cornello can-"

"Rose?"

"Father Cornello can do it, even if you weren't able to. He can!" Tears leaked from her eyes as she desperately tried to convince herself. Kaela sighed as something buzzed in her ear.

"It's okay, Al. She's been believing a lie all this time, so it's going to be hard switching mindsets. Ed just gave me the signal, though." Kaela patted Al's armor, even though she knew he couldn't feel it. She looked up at the crying woman, dressed in an innocent white. "She will receive some concrete evidence soon enough."

"... Okay." Al nodded and clapped his hands, palm over the other. The huge bell transmuted into an enormous speak, to which Al pressed a switch and slung it over his shoulder.

" _... Is this thing on?_ " Ed's voice boomed into the city.

"What are you doing?" Rose asked, nervously fingering the neckline of her dress. Kaela pressed her index finger to her lips as she buzzed Ed twice, letting him know that they heard him loud and clear.

A minute later, the sound of a door creaking open could be heard through the speaker. The city was silent.

" _Kid!_ " Came Father Cornello's voice. " _Say your prayers!_ "

" _Mister, let's speak frankly here. I just want to know the secrets of that Stone. Or should I request that the military is called in to investigate the Stone?_ " Ed's voice sounded loud and clear, mocking and all.

Cornello growled, but the door was heard creaking shut. " _Very well._ "

" _What are you trying to do with the Philosopher's Stone? If you have it, you don't need any rinky-dink religious order, right?_ "

" _The order would gladly give their lives for my sake and provides me with more believers! They will be the ultimate legion, not even afraid to die, just you watch!_ "

Kaela facepalmed, wondering how blind, (literally, _how blind?_ ) could this man be?

" _In just a few more years, I'm going to set out to rip this country apart, using the Philosopher's Stone and my idiotic believers! I'll even share the leftovers with you! Ah-hahaha!_ "

Ed's cackle interrupted Cornello's manic laughter.

" _What's so funny?_ " Cornello demanded.

" _As I said before, you're third-string._ "

A few moments later, Cornello's voice rang out loudly across the city. " _It-It can't be…!"_

"There are no miraculous works," Al said from his position from the railing. "It was all done with the power of the Philosopher's Stone."

" _Why you …! When did you flip that switch?"_

" _Right at the start. It's all out of the bag now._ "

" _How could you do that?! You little brat!_ " The ringing sounds of alchemy could be heard over the speaker.

" _Too slow!_ " Ed yelled, the microphone picking up his incoming footsteps. There was a loud crash and the sound of metal slicing metal. " _As I said, you're outclassed._ "

" _I am without rival!"_ More ringing. However…

" _R-Rebound!"_

" _I-I'm not giving up yet! I am … I am … the Emissary of God!_ " Cornello's voice distorted toward the end, just before the sound cut from the speakers.

"Nii-san!" Alphonse hurriedly set down the speaker, making to take off down the bell tower before Kaela placed a hand on one of his pauldrons. She shook her head.

"Let's trust Ed. I'm sure this priest is nothing he can't handle. After all, he experienced some rebound, from the sound of it," she said reassuringly. Al paused before nodding. "Although, that bit at the end somewhat worries me. So let's make our way down to the sanctuary. Calmly."

They left Rose in the tower's balcony. She had fallen to her knees, her hands covering her ears. Kaela looked back only once before descending the stairs.

Al and Kaela found the Fullmetal Alchemist spacing out in the midst of large pieces of rubble. The sanctuary was utterly destroyed, and Cornello was nowhere to be found. Al placed a hand on his brother's shoulder, and Ed turned to face the two.

"What happened?" Al asked, worry in his eyes. But Ed simply sighed and gave him a small, tired smile.

"Let's get out of here before we get in trouble."

Once they were outside, Al stepped in front of his older brother. "What happened?"

Ed shrugged. "Cornello ran away after I beat him up. Nothing too exciting."

The sunset painted the sky yellow, orange, pink, and finally, where it rested overhead, a dull purple. Only a few stars came out from their hiding places, afraid of the sun's light. The city below was overlayed with a mixture between orange and brown, the color somewhat somber instead of the initial guess that it was a happier, lighter tone. Al gazed at this scene before continuing.

"What about the Philosopher's Stone?"

"I was just a big knock-off."

"I see."

Ed rapped a fist onto his brother's cuirass. He said tiredly, regretfully, "I thought we were finally going to get you your body back, too."

Kaela reached out to place a hand on his back, though she hesitated. It wasn't as easy to comfort Ed as it was Al.

Just before her fingers touched his bare shoulder, a familiar, shaky voice called out. "Give me the Philosopher's Stone!"

The three turned to see Rose with Kaela's primary gun pointed at them, her hands quivering and her expression not quite as determined as one would suppose it would be, considering her actions and her motive.

"Rose …"

"I said it was just a big knock-off," Ed stated. "What's more, it broke all on its own."

Kaela watched cautiously as Rose's face became even more shattered than before. Rose was a happy woman, someone who normally would never even think to touch a gun, let alone point it at someone. But today had not been a normal day for her, and Rose's mindset was nowhere near in order. One wrong step here and Ed and Kaela could die.

"Liar! You want to keep it all for yourself, don't you? For your bodies- yeah, and to use it on your mother one more time."

Edward snapped. "Shut up! Dead people do not come back to life! Ever!" There is was again. The guilt and shame, hidden behind a mask of anger. It seemed to Kaela, though, that the mask was cracking.

Kaela felt the anger, too, at what Rose had not carefully chosen to say. However, the feelings of wanting to keep them both from killing each other because of derailed feelings kept her feet planted.

This time, her hand did connect with Ed's shoulder. He glanced at her, surprise conflicting with the pain. Kaela had always only comforted Ed through words, believing he didn't crave the physical contact that Al had always welcomed. Kaela was shocked by her actions, too.

Still, she kept going, giving him a slight squeeze to let him know she was there. Ed didn't react beyond his surprise, though Kaela thought she saw the regret so obviously masked by anger ebb away.

Rose had fallen to her knees. "He said he would come back," she said, no longer pointing Kaela's gun at them and no longer posing a threat. "He said if I prayed, it would come true. That a miracle would happen."

The three walked forward, away from the cathedral and toward the setting sun. More stars poked out, and the purple sky began to deepen.

"What am I supposed to live my life clinging to now?! Tell me!"

Ed first walked past her, then Al. Ed stopped as Al continued down the steps, his face grim. "You have to figure that out yourself. Stand up and walk. Move forward. You've got two fine legs there, don't you? You don't need to cling to anything."

Rose looked up at the sky. Finally, Kaela passed by, stopping just in front of the young woman and crouching down. She said nothing as she placed a calming hand on Rose's head, caressing it softly as Kaela took the gun gently from her hands. Kaela stood, her hand still on Rose's head.

Rose looked at her with tear streaked eyes. Kaela smiled. "You'll be alright from now on, Rose. You don't need to find something or someone to live for. You just need to live for _yourself_ , now."

* * *

 **It never fails to amaze me how many emotionally compelling quotes can be found in FMA. I really loved Ed's words at the end. They don't necessarily apply only to Rose, but also to the audience. It's like he's encouraging us!**

 **Or maybe I'm just crazy and love Ed too much.**

 **Either way, thank you so much for reading! Leave a review and tell me what you think of the chapter and what your favorite quote from FMA is.**


	3. An Alchemist's Anguish

**Yay! Early update! Also ... two chapters?! What?! I guess I just had a lot of time on my hands this weekend. Aaand I was ready to get these two chapters over with because they make me sad. Hopefully, they don't seem too rushed.**

 **BloodPokemon101: You put my scrambled thoughts into words! Also, your "what if" situation is very though compelling; Rose, like you said, isn't that type of person, but there is a possibility that even she could have been pushed over the edge. Sure, Rose barely had it in her to hold the gun, but if Ed wasn't careful, he could have said something that could have tripped her trigger. You see it all the time in fictional media, and it happens quite often in real life, too (just maybe not to that extent). It might be easier with a different type of person, like Ed himself (it happened when Mustang first met Ed), to be shoved past that line which shouldn't be crossed, but if you word it carefully, it's possible to sway even the most stone-cold person. Ed was lucky that Rose had a weak will, to begin with.**

* * *

An Alchemist's Anguish

* * *

The corridors in the military's headquarters in Amestris were long and cold, oftentimes with no one occupying them. The Elrics and Kaela walked leisurely down the hall, no specific destination in mind. Kaela walked behind Ed, keeping Al in her peripheral vision so that she wouldn't stray from the path while reading the _Daily Amestris_.

"They're saying there's a murderer in the loose," she announced, her eyes scouring the article. "The victims are almost exclusively state alchemists."

This caught both boys' attention. Ed turned his head slightly, peering at Kaela out of the corner of his eye. "What?"

"The Iron Blood Alchemist was killed last night while he was on his way home from work. It's saying that works of his alchemy were spread all over an alleyway, with a large box of metal sitting in the middle, most likely used to contain the perpetrator." She paused before pointing at the paper. "There's a picture of it here."

Ed trailed back so that all three were looking over her shoulder at the newspaper. His eyes widened when he saw the large hole the size of a horse in the center of the box.

"The Iron Blood Alchemist …," Al said, pinching his chin with his thumb and the knuckle of his index finger. "Wasn't that Basque Grand?"

"Yeah!" Ed exclaimed, still staring at the article. "He is- was one tough alchemist."

"You'd know, wouldn't you?" Kaela shot him a teasing glare. "You challenged him to a fight _at least_ three times with the reason being you wanted to find out whose metal was stronger."

"We put up a good fight, right?"

"Oh, of course! You only landed on your face three out of the three times you sparred with each other." While Ed grumbled atrocities about her, Kaela read the rest of the article. "Well, it must have been really shady, because the Fuhrer showed up while Maes Hughes was investigating the scene."

"Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes is in charge?" Al asked. They hadn't met the man, but Mustang complained about him all too often.

"Yep. Not to mention Lieutenant Armstrong."

They arrived at an open door, to which they noticed Riza Hawkeye and Mustang's subordinates. Unanimously, they silently decided to head inside.

"Master Sergeant Fuery, how is the radio coming?" Riza asked, not even glancing up from her work when the trio stepped into the room.

The small, bespectacled man was turning knobs frantically, nerves and anxiety practically oozing from his skin. He looked up at his superior. "The receiver has had it. I'll have to change out the part."

Ed clapped and laid a hand on the radio, the blue light reflecting onto the master sergeant's glasses. When Ed removed his gloved hand, the radio was as good as new. Fuery 'oh'ed before looking up to see the grinning boy.

"Edward! Alphonse! Michaela!" He said happily.

"Welcome back, you three," Riza said, sending a small smile their way. "The Colonel is expecting you." Ed's face dropped in disgust at the mention of his superior officer's name.

"Let's hurry over then," Kaela said. "It was nice seeing everyone before we get assigned another job!" She beamed at everyone's smiles as she managed to drag Ed by the scruff, their waves and smiles imprinted in her memory before she shut the door.

"I don't wanna go see the Colonel," Ed whined. Kaela shot him a look and he cowered behind Al, afraid of the possibility of getting scolded. Though not related by blood, Kaela and Winry were alike in a lot of ways, and that included the fact that they were scary when they were reprimanding the brothers, each in their own way. Winry tended to get violent, whereas Kaela would use more underhanded tactics, like verbally beating his soul out of his body, or worse: the silent treatment.

"We were going to have to go see the Colonel, anyway, Nii-san," Al said quickly. Though he loved his brother very much, he would rather appease the girl's wrath than side with Ed.

Kaela sighed as she walked ahead of them, leaving her feet on autopilot. They had gone to Mustang's office about a quarter of a billion times by now, so she had memorized the path from every room in the building. "I don't exactly want to meet with him, either. He's a bit too greasy for my taste." She grimaced at the thought of him, remembering the last time he had seen her he had winked at her four times and kissed her hand twice. "The rumors of him being a womanizer live up to his name, despite how serious he is about his work."

When they arrived at the office, Colonel Roy Mustang immediately offered them a seat. His eyes lingered on each of them before beginning to speak.

"The Liore case was handled well, thanks to you," he began, his calm yet underlyingly proud tone just as Kaela remembered. "Let me convey my gratitude."

"No big deal," Ed said, resting his chin on his hand. "We didn't do it for you." Al and Kaela exchanged a quick look before she sighed, exasperated.

"Thank you, Colonel. We were obligated to do it," Kaela said quickly in hopes that would neutralize Edward's rude words, though she knew Mustang didn't really care about Ed's attitude either way. He had gotten used to it over the years, and nothing had changed since they had first met. Kaela at this point just wanted to keep up appearances.

Mustang nodded to her. "So, this Philosopher's Stone was a dud, too?" The trio perked up, including Ed.

Slowly, he nodded. "The Stone was a fake," he said, pinching his chin, "but its power, at least, was incredible. It created that huge Chimera, after all."

"I wonder how he used the Stone to do something like that." Al's words caught the Colonel's attention. "We're not very familiar with the field of live transmutation, so we don't understand it all that well."

"What about you, Kaela? Don't you use alchemy on living things?" Mustang asked, moving his focus to her.

She scrunched her eyebrows together and shook her head. "I can't figure it out. Beyond the basics, my skills lie more in closing wounds, stopping internal bleeding, and healing bones. I'm more of a "quick-fix" doctor than a surgeon of that nature."

"It would be interesting if we looked into it. It might come in handy for us getting our bodies back," Ed said, turning to his brother. Mustang nodded and began rifling through his desk.

"In that case, why don't you get help from a specialist?" he asked, pulling out a file. "The Sewing-Life Alchemist, Shou Tucker. He's a researcher, dealing with Chimera transmutation. I'll introduce you to him."

"You'd go to all that trouble, Colonel?" Al asked in disbelief.

Ed shot up and pointed an accusing finger at the man behind the desk. "He's up to something! He's definitely up to something!"

Mustang slammed his hands on his desk, frustrated. "Don't be so suspicious of me! After the Liore case, this makes us even." He turned his head to the side, uttering under his breath, "Being indebted to you would be repulsive."

"Okay, thank you, Mustang, we'll be leaving now," Kaela said hurriedly as she began pulling at Ed's arm to leave.

The Colonel's eyes landed on her again, this time smirk creeping onto his face. "I see you've started to drop my title, _sweetheart_. Trying to get closer to me, eh?"

Though she knew that he was aware of her only being fourteen and Mustang didn't mean anything sincere by it, at least not in that way, Kaela was still grossed out. She just kept reminding herself that it was all just to get a rise out of her.

"It was a slip of the tongue, sir. I'll try not to make it a habit." Kaela nearly gagged.

"You can use my first name if you'd like."

Ed began to pull at her grip, ready to charge Mustang. Kaela realized that they would be better off leaving. "No, thank you, Colonel Mustang," she grunted, dragging Ed through the doorway with the help of Al. "Thank you for the information. We'll see you tomorrow."

"It was lovely seeing you again, Miss Michaela Rockbell. Oh, and I guess the Elric Brothers, too-"

Kaela slammed the door shut.

* * *

On the way to Shou Tucker's residence, Kaela was forced to sit next to Mustang in the car due to Alphonse's size. She did her best to fuse to the opposite door. Mustang chuckled at her actions.

She focused on the fact that she was riding in a car, something they didn't get to do often because of, once again, Al's size. Most times they had to stick to train, boat, or foot if they needed to travel somewhere. But cars, cars were a luxury that Mustang was able to use often.

Most of the cars were a Ford model of some sort, the Colonel's, in particular, being a Ford Model A. The black paint suited his personality, with uncomfortable, deep maroon seat cushions to match. The boxy shape of the vehicle was all too similar to the others racing down the street, pedestrians and motorists alike unwittingly passing an authorized military vehicle.

"Two years ago, Tucker successfully transmuted a Chimera that could understand human speech," he said, turning serious. "This earned him the qualification of State Alchemist."

"Understand human speech?" Ed asked dubiously. "You mean, it talks? A Chimera?" He leaned forward, completely enthralled.

"Yeah, supposedly, it spoke." Mustang glanced down at his clipboard. "It said just one thing: 'I want to die.'" Kaela turned to him, her interest piquing too. "After that, it refused to eat anything, and died."

The car pulled up to a rather large house, the iron-barred gate already opened. The house was two stories tall and five windows long, separated into three sections: white stucco, brick, and then white stucco again. When the four of them stepped up to the front entrance, Mustang rang the doorbell on the outer brick wall.

"What a huge house," Ed said, tilting back to peer up at the second story. A large shadow passed over him.

Moments later, a massive white dog larger than both Kaela and Ed had crushed the young alchemist under its enormous body.

"Nii-san!"

"Look on the bright side, Ed," Kaela said, crouching down next to him, a cheeky grin plastered onto her face. "If you were any taller, it would have hurt more."

He only had the strength to glare up at her.

"Wah!" Kaela turned to see a small girl with long braids pushing open the front door, her smile wide and contagious. "Lots of visitors!"

"Nina," a middle-aged, haggard man came up behind the little girl. "You have to keep the dog tied up."

The man invited all four into the house, while Nina and her dog stayed outside to play. The house was covered in dust, books scattered everywhere in stacks, spiderwebs connecting the wooden walls and floors together, and the dishes looked like they hadn't been done for weeks.

"Ah, sorry about this," the man, whom Kaela guessed to be Shou Tucker, said. "Ever since my wife ran out on me, the house has been like this." They sat down at a small dining table with a window overlooking the street allowing light inside, each with a cup of tea in front of them. Kaela took a sip and had to force herself not to look disgusted. Lukewarm tea was the worst.

"Once again, it's a pleasure to meet you, Edward. I'm the Sewing-Life Alchemist, Shou Tucker."

"He is interested in transmuting living things," Mustang said, gesturing to the young man next to him. Kaela still didn't understand why Mustang had sat between her and the brothers, but she was thankful that he did so. Now she could examine Tucker without him fully noticing, being out of his vision's focus. "He says he would love to have a look at your research."

"Sure, I don't mind. However … If you want to see what I have up my sleeve, I'll have to see what you've got up yours." Kaela's eyes narrowed. Tucker's last sentence hadn't a lot of emotion behind it, as if he was careful to keep his emotions in check. He had something to hide. Tucker noticed the guarded mask Ed was beginning to put up and continued. "That's what it is to be an alchemist. Why are you interested in transmuting living things?"

For once, the Colonel looked caught off guard. "Oh, uh, he's …"

"Colonel." Ed held up a hand. He then proceeded to take off his black jacket and gloves, leaving him only in a loose, navy, sleeveless shirt, his automail arm being exposed. As he did this, he told Tucker his and Al's story.

"You transmuted your mother? An eleven-year-old child?" Tucker stared at the metal arm. "I see. So that's why you're the 'Fullmetal Alchemist.'" He sagged with pity. "You've had a bitter experience, huh?"

Ed plopped down in his seat, neither he nor Al saying anything.

"And you," he turned to Kaela, "Who are you?"

"Uh, I'm …"

"This is Michaela Rockbell. She is a close friend of the Elrics and primarily focuses on healing alchemy." Kaela sent Mustang a grateful look, who simply nodded.

"The Rockbells? Are you, by any chance, the daughter of Yuriy and Sarah Rockbell?" Tucker leaned forward, captivated all of the sudden.

"Yes."

"Oh, my." He whispered, leaning back. A glint passed over his glasses. "I'm so sorry for what happened to them. The Ishivalan War seems to not even have mercy to the youngest of us."

Kaela leaned back in her seat, silent. She really didn't want to talk about how she had lost three sets of parents, two of which weren't even related by blood.

It was silent for a few moments longer until Tucker stood from his seat. "I don't know if it will be of any use to you or not, but why don't you have a look at my laboratory?"

* * *

Strange animals that were fused together until one couldn't see the individual species anymore clawed at the bars, their teeth dripping with drool and blood. Rows and rows of jars contained the body parts of a multitude of animals, each labeled in high detail. Kaela glanced at Tucker. He was a thorough man or an obsessed one.

"Oh, how embarrassing. I'm popularly regarded as some authority on Chimeras, but, the truth is, it hasn't been going very well," Tucker said.

The Chimeras in the cages were very strange. Kaela saw a Doberman with three heads and a ready bite. There was a monkey merged with a bird's wings, flapping them nervously everytime someone, namely Tucker came near. The Chimeras seemed dangerous at first glance, but the closer Kaela got, they just seemed apprehensive of the newcomers if anything.

Well, Kaela thought, I'd be pretty wary if I was trapped in a cage and stared at like a circus freak.

Ed and Al scoured the room, excited by all the different jars and animals, but Kaela had to drag them away. Nothing in this room would allow them to understand the makings of a Chimera. Instead, Tucker led them to another double-doored room. After opening the door, the activation of the lights revealed a massive personal library.

"Oh, incredible!" Ed shouted, already making his way into the room.

"This is my materials room. Feel free to look around," Tucker said with a tired, yet kind smile.

"Alright. I'll start with this shelf," Ed called from somewhere in the library. Al had disappeared from Kaela's side, his helmet just barely visible over the edge of the bookshelves.

"Then I'll start over there," Al replied.

"I'm going back to work. I'll send someone by for you this evening," Mustang said, but Edward never answered him, already absorbed in his book. Mustang snorted slightly, placing a hand on his hip.

"They have incredible focus, don't they?" Tucker asked rhetorically. "They've already shut out the voices around them." He pushed his glasses up, causing another glint. "There _are_ prodigies out there, huh?"

Mustang turned to Kaela, a smile practically dripping in grease transforming his face, causing her to step back. "I'll be seeing you around, Michaela."

"Oh, I'm sure it won't be for a while, Colonel." Kaela cringed.

"Then," he swiftly took her hand, and said more loudly, "Let me kiss you good-bye."

"Get the hell out of here, Colonel!" Ed angry face appeared in the central aisle, glaring at the two. "You're distracting."

"I'll be leaving shortly," Mustang said with a grin. He kissed the back of Kaela's hand, his eyes darting at Ed.

When he left, Kaela realized that the Colonel was simply having fun with the situation, that he was trying to get a rise from _Ed_ , not her. Kaela didn't have the slightest idea of how he had picked this tactic to annoy his subordinate, but it was working. Every time Mustang flirted with her, Ed would get somewhat angry, even when he was focused on something else, like just now.

Kaela grinned. Although she wouldn't have even _thought_ this prior to her earlier conclusion, she wanted to have a little fun and piss off Ed. In the future, she would have to play along.

Just as she took a step toward the depths of the library, Tucker placed a hand on her shoulder. He smiled down at her. "If I remember correctly, you are interested in healing alchemy, yes?"

"Actually, I am," she replied, a little surprised.

"Then, let me show you this section … over here …" he trailed off, leading her to one of the bookshelves toward the front. Kaela gave Alphonse a small wave when she saw him through the books, and he returned it, smiling through his glowing eyes.

There were books that Kaela had already read in the Elrics' father's study, but there were some that she hadn't even seen before. Some were even from the country of Xing! She turned to Tucker, beaming like the sun. "Thank you so much!"

"Anytime."

It was a few hours later when Kaela felt a small tug on her forest green sweater. Startled, she looked down. Nina, Tucker's daughter, was hesitantly but firmly gripping the fabric, a look of determination in her eye. Kaela rested the book she had been reading on bone mending on top of the other books and crouched down to Nina's eye level.

"Hey, kiddo," she said with a smile. "What's up?"

"Do… do you want to play?" She managed out, nervous to talk to strangers, but excited as well. Kaela glanced at the shelves of books, contemplating. Deciding they could always come here another day, she nodded.

"Okay. But first, let's get someone else to play with us."

"But Alexander is ready to play, too!"

"Alexander?"

"My dog!" Ah, yes. The giant of a dog that could crush both Kaela and Ed. Gotcha.

"Well, your dog _is_ really big, but do you want to play with someone bigger?" Nina nodded anxiously. Kaela led her through the side aisle until she found a certain suit of armor attentive to a book that looked tiny in his grasp.

Nina peaked around the corner to gaze up at him. Out of the corner of his eye, Al noticed Kaela standing there and Nina hiding from him. When she realized that the strange man could see her, Nina gasped and hid behind the shelf again, before slowly reappearing. Kaela couldn't hide her smile. Nina grinned at Al widely.

And that was how Ed found Nina on Al's shoulders as he jumped up and down, and Kaela standing off to the side, leaning against the shelves. "Way up high!" Al cried gleefully as Nina giggled in bliss. "Way up high!"

"Al! What are you doing?!" Ed yelled in irritation.

Al did his best to look innocent. "Nina looked like she wanted to play."

"Do _you_ want to play, Ed?" Kaela said with a smirk. Edward only shot them both equally chiding glares.

"Hey, what do you think we are he to do?" A shadow encompassed him, preventing him from speaking further as Alexander landed on top of him with a "boof!"

Both Al and Kaela crouched down while the dog licked Ed as if to apologize. Nina smiled. "Alexander says he wants to play, too!"

Ed chuckled darkly. "You've got some nerve." He stood slowly, being dramatic as usual, Alexander wagging his tail blissfully behind the tragic hero. "They say that a lion uses all of his strength to hunt even a rabbit. So I," Ed stood up and clenched his fists, looking comical if nothing else, "Edward Elric, will use my whole body and soul to take you on, you beast of a dog!"

With that declaration, Ed scrambled after the dog, who had enough sense to run away. Nina simply giggled whilst Al and Kaela exchanged exasperated looks in response to their melodramatic partner-in-crime.

When Jean Havoc strolled in calling out "Hey chief, I'm here to pick you up," he probably wasn't expecting a massive dog and a little girl to have taken out to great Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric. "What are you doing?" He asked with every ounce of disappointment possible.

Ed, on the other hand, had given up once the dog had made his fifth landing on Ed's back, and he had been laying there for the past twenty minutes. But Havoc wasn't going to know the details. "Oh, you might call it a breather from searching through data."

"We were taking a small break," Kaela said with a smile at the young man with an unlit cigarette between his lips. Havoc only rolled his eyes, knowing from the toothy crack in her face that Kaela had somehow managed to rope Ed into getting humiliated in front of his subordinate. Again.

Tucker seemed fairly unfazed. "Did you find any good material?" He asked as Ed stood, unable to look either man in the eye. He chuckled when Ed could only grin and glare at the dog. "Come on by tomorrow, too."

Nina whipped around to face Al, him being her favorite. "You're going to come again?"

Al, seemingly enjoying her company, waved and said, "Let's play more tomorrow, okay, Nina?" The little girl made a noise of happy confirmation.

The four, including Havoc, left the house. Ed didn't even look back, visibly worn out with slumped shoulders and trudging feet. Before leaving the property, Havoc turned around while Tucker was still in the doorway. "Ah, Mr Tucker. I have a message from the Colonel. He says 'Don't forget, Assessment Day is coming soon.'"

"Yes, I know," Tucker said, though his voice sounded unsteady.

"Well, then." Havoc turned around, following the trio out the gate. Kaela didn't miss, however, the strange glint in Tucker's eyes that kept reappearing, unsettling her stomach until they made it back to headquarters, where they headed to the room that had been given to them to stay in whenever they were in Amestris.

Ed stripped out of his overcoat, jacket, and slacks the moment Kaela entered the bathroom, leaving him in just his sleeveless shirt and his boxers. When she came out, she had only removed her sweater, still wearing her white button down and skinnier dress pants. Al … well, Al stayed in his armor.

Kaela made her way to the bed she had called dibs on years ago. Ed had already fallen asleep, 'tuckered' out from the day's events. She chuckled at the pun she made inside her head. As she sat down, she watched as Al gently removed Ed's hand from under his shirt and pulled it down so that his belly was no longer exposed.

Her intent gaze must have reached his senses because he looked up, a question in the dim, lavender glow of his eyes: "What is it, Kaela?" She pursed her lips and patted the bed.

Al nimbly walked around the beds and sat next to her, watching, listening, waiting until she was ready. This was why she had waited until Ed was asleep; Al was by far the easier brother to talk to. Understanding, patient, and calm. All traits that Edward didn't possess on a regular day. Kaela took a deep breath.

"What do you think of the Tuckers?"

Surprised by the simple question, Al replied slowly, "I think Mr Tucker is very nice. And Nina is really cute. It was fun playing with her."

"You didn't notice anything off?"

"With Nina?"

"No. I mean, with Shou Tucker. There wasn't anything he said, or maybe how he said something, that threw you off, by any chance?" Her eyes were piercing, desperate. But she just wasn't sure why.

Al knew, though, why she got like this. After _the incident_ , Kaela had become more observant, more questioning, cautious with every move, careful with every word. She was scared that something would happen again and that she wouldn't be able to stop it. So, Al talked things through with her, helped her become less analytical and more rational. Most times, there was nothing to be worried about. But on the off chance that her hunches were correct …

"What do you mean, Kaela? What did you hear?" Al kept his voice calm so that she wouldn't startle. If their conversation became too loud, they would wake Edward. Kaela didn't confide anything in the older brother, and, though Al knew it bothered his brother, it was probably for the best. Ed would dismiss her feelings and make her feel trapped in her own mind, in her inability to help someone.

Maybe now that they were older, that they were closer, that Ed was more mature and Kaela was less leery, the eldest Elric would be more understanding. But Al knew that Kaela's frame of mind wasn't strong enough to take the chance. Despite her sardonic, mothering front, she was still a scared ten-year-old back in the basement watching one of her best friends bleed to death from his leg.

"I'm not sure what set me off, but," her brows knit, "there was something about his tone, sometimes. How it was flat, and kind of distant. It was like a mask that sometimes peeled away before he smoothed it back on his face." Kaela chuckled slightly. "What a vivid allegory."

Al contemplated this for a minute. He hadn't exactly noticed anything off, but then again, he wasn't as watchful of the situation as he knew Kaela was. He had seen her steel gray eyes boring into Tucker's soul as he and Ed talked at the dinner table. "I didn't catch anything like that. But I believe you."

She exhaled heavily, even though she was already aware Al would understand. It was just nice to voice her feelings and have someone know how to respond to them. She looked up at him. "Thank you, Al."

He smiled in the way only he could and ruffled her raven locks. "Get some sleep, Kaela. In the morning, I'll pay closer attention."

"Okay. Night-night."

"Goodnight."

* * *

The better part of the morning was spent yelling at Ed to get out of the shower and then drying his hair once he finished. Still just in his navy shirt and slacks, Kaela could only sigh as she massaged the towel on his head while he yawned, bleary-eyed.

"We need to hurry, Ed," she chastised, her lips forming a firm line. "You should have been out of the bathroom twenty minutes ago."

"Whatever. It's fine now, right? We have plenty of time to go through the rest of the library." Ed sighed contentedly while Kaela squeezed smaller sections of hair. Nearby, Al chuckled. If someone who hadn't known the two as long as Al saw them interact like that, they would assume that they hated each other. However, it was clear to him, the Rockbells, and, surprisingly, Colonel Mustang: their bond was one that couldn't be severed.

While Ed hummed as Kaela threaded her fingers through his golden hair, the girl muttered things like, "someday, I'm going to cut your hair," and "we're going to be late for the apocalypse itself." But really, mornings like this were uncommon, and Kaela loved them. She missed how it used to be when stress wasn't a constant companion and she could simply be best friends with the Elrics, not their doctor or their sniper.

Edward loved it too. He had never liked sleeping in the streets, Kaela and he huddled awkwardly and irritatingly close (it was mostly just annoying when the two bickered back and forth while they fought over the blanket) when their surroundings got too cold due to winter or simply the regional climate. Sleeping in his own bed, taking a hot shower, allowing (forcing) Kaela to deal with his hair, pretending that he and his brother were living a nice life.

Al perhaps loved it the most, but more or less for selfless reasons. He also didn't like to see when Ed and Kaela suffered because of the conditions outside Resembool and the capital. They had the money for hotels, but most hotels didn't accept the likes of the three. Although he couldn't sleep, watching Kaela and Ed's steady breaths, the two people he loved most in the world, made him feel at peace as he guarded their slumber.

Finally, Kaela managed to untangle his still slightly damp hair, and braid it. "Okay, get your clothes on, you weirdo. Al and I have been ready for an hour."

"Not fair. Al doesn't wear clothes, and you slept in yours!"

"I slept in mine because I knew you would be taking up the bathroom in the morning," Kaela retorted, rolling her eyes. "I cleaned them last night with alchemy, so they're fresh. You're worse than a teenage girl, sometimes."

She shoved him out the door before he could respond, meeting up with Havoc standing outside their doorway, mid-yawn. "I was just about to knock," he said. "I've been waiting here for at least half an hour.

Kaela scoffed. "Tell me about it."

When they arrived back at the Tucker household, Nina hung around while they researched more about Chimeras.

"Your mother left you two years ago?" Al asked, looking up from his book.

"Dad said that she went back to her parents' house," Nina said this as if she was used to it. Kaela's heart clenched. She knew Nina wasn't.

"I see. It must be lonesome, with just you and your father living by yourselves in this big house," Al said.

"Mm-mmm," she said, shaking her head. "It's fine. Dad is nice to me, and I have Alexander, too!" She hugged her dog's large head, and Alexander whined in response with a few wags of his tail. Suddenly, her expression dropped. "But lately, Dad has been in his lab all this time. I am a little bit lonely."

The brothers stared at the little girl for a moment, similar memories going through their minds. Ed shut his book and stood up, exaggeratedly stretching. "Aah, my shoulders are stiff."

"You should get a little exercise, Nii-san." Kaela stood up as Al said this, a smile forming on her face.

"That's a good idea. Hey, dog!" Ed challenged, pointing at Alexander, who immediately perked up with a "boof!" "Come exercise with me!"

"Come on, Nina, you too," Al said as Kaela lifted her onto her shoulders. Nina paused before smiling her contagious smile.

Once again, Kaela wondered how Havoc would react if he came to pick them up now. At the moment, Al was watching Ed being chase by Nina riding Alexander. Kaela stood off to the side, chuckling when Ed switched to the offense, transmuting his mechanical arm into a child's claw toy, and chased them while he snapped the contraption open and shut. Nina slid down Al's back like a slide while Alexander managed to sneak attack Ed and drop onto him from seemingly out of nowhere

It was nice, seeing Al and Ed play. It had been a while since either of them had any real, childish fun. Edward was always too busy trying to find the Philosopher's Stone, and Alphonse was too busy making sure Ed didn't dig himself too deep. Nina's joy was a force itself, too. Her laughter resounded in Kaela's heart, stirring a memory that Kaela didn't know existed.

"Onee-chan! Come to play!" Nina called from Alexander's back. Kaela jogged over, unsure why it was _her_ being asked for.

"What are we playing?" She asked, squatting down. Nina's mischevious glint worried her.

"Tag!" Nina sidled herself up to Kaela, slowly inching closer. Out of nowhere, Nina reached out and lightly smacked her leg and took off running. The brothers immediately understood what had just happened and split off in different directions. "You're it!"

Kaela grinned before sprinting after Nina, the innocence of childhood revitalized, if only for the moment.

* * *

"Our life before my earning state certification was terrible." Most of the day had been spent playing with Nina and Alexander, who was now taking a nap on the floor while Nina petted him. The Elrics and Kaela sat at the dining table as the light of the sunset streamed in, listening to Shou Tucker while they waited for Havoc. "We were so poor. My wife couldn't put up with living like that, so she left us. I have to pass this assessment, no matter what. I don't ever want to go back to those days again."

"It's going to okay, Dad! If they tell you no, then I and Alexander will get mad at the important people for you!"

While Alphonse laughed at her threats, Kaela couldn't help but watch man's face stay passive until the Elrics turned their focus back onto him.

"Nina, do you want to play with Dad tomorrow?" He asked, the corners of his lips turning upward. Nina whirled around, stars in her eyes.

"Really?!"

"Yeah."

"Hooray!" She exclaimed as she flung herself onto her father, catching him off guard if only for a split second. "Alexander! Dad said he's going to play with us!"

"Boof!"

Both Al and Ed smiled pleasantly, smiles they hadn't exposed for a long time.

* * *

The next day, it was overcast; the sun from the past week vanishing out of the blue. Kaela brought an umbrella, just in case it would rain.

Al opened the front door. "Hello, Mr Tucker! Thanks for having us again today!" He called.

Something isn't right. The house is enveloped in darkness. Ed peered in when nobody answered Al. Kaela can't keep her stomach from churning.

They entered the house, leaving the front door open. "Mr Tucker?"

"Hey, Nina!" Ed shouts. Neither answer.

The trio made their way to the back of the house where Shou Tucker's laboratory is. They open the double doors, revealing Tucker squatting in the darkness, along with some … thing.

Illuminated by the light from the rest of the house, the creature's fur was white, with a long, brown mane and tail. Its build was almost canine, though something about it was off. The toes on its paws were too long, and its eyes. Oh, God, its eyes. They were blank, white, and unseeing. It didn't even react when Al's armor creaked.

"Mr Tucker?"

Ed sighed from relief. "Oh, you _are_ home, aren't you?"

"Hey." Kaela stepped back, nearly vomiting from the sound of his voice. It's calm, it's serene, it's _perverse_. The boys didn't seem to be as affected as their friend, though Ed seemed to be startled at the strange smile Tucker gave them in the dark. "I did it. This is the finished product."

Kaela turned away.

"A Chimera that understands human speech. Look there." He crouched again, looking into the eyes of the Chimera. Thunder rolled overhead. "Listen to me. That person is Edward."

The Chimera looked up, blank eyes never moving. "Ed… ward?"

"Yes! Well done," Tucker muttered, rubbing the beast's head.

"Amazing! It really does talk!" Ed stooped down to watch the creature in fascination.

"Yeah. Now I won't have to lose my state certification." The way he phrased this was weird. Where was everyone else in the house?

The Chimera turned to Ed. "Ed… ward…. Ed… ward…"

Ed watched with wonder as the beast repeated his name.

"Ed… ward… _Onii … chan_..."

Kaela really did vomit. Al turned around in surprise, concern only showing through his eye that glowed in dark, not hearing the Chimera. But Edward did. He froze and nearly joined Kaela. But his rage kept his composure for him.

"Mr Tucker, when did you get your state certification again?"

"Uh, let's see … two years ago."

"And when did your wife leave?"

Tucker sighed. "Two years ago."

"Can I ask you one more question?" Ed didn't turn his head. The Chimeras in their cages were uncharacteristically silent. "Where did Nina and Alexander go?!"

It's silent, save for the metallic inhale of Alphonse. The silence was too much. Kaela sprinted to the bathroom, heaving out today's lunch, listening to the sounds of Ed's screaming, of the punches landing on the madman's face, of Al's pleading for Ed to stop before it's too late.

Memories of Nina and Alexander flew by in her brain as she tried to catch hold of them and lock them away, knowing she would never make any more with the constantly cheerful yet lonely girl and her fluffy, silly, loving dog. It hurt. It reminded her of the cemetery, the tombstones with the names 'Trisha', 'Yuriy', and 'Sarah'. It reminded her of the cellar, where the only thing she could do for Edward was grab a suit of armor so that he could draw Alphonse's soul back to the living world.

When her stomach had been emptied, and even then she dry-heaved, Kaela returned to find Tucker slumped against the wall, his face beaten beyond recognition. Ed's right fist was bloodied and the white-now-red glove was torn, although the blood obviously wasn't his.

Al was crouched down next to the Chimera, gently rubbing its head. "I'm sorry. With our power, we can't return you back to normal. I'm sorry … I'm sorry …"

"Let's play … Let's play …" The Chimera softly cried.

"I made it in time," Tucker said from his corner, clutching the state alchemist medallion in his hands. "Now … I'll be a state alchemist again."

Ed's eyes were crazy, psychotic. And yet, Kaela reveled in the blow he sent the medallion with his foot, breaking the chain and insignia welded to the front. Tucker gasped, crawling toward the broken, meaningless, inanimate trinket instead of the daughter that loved him so much, even now.

"The hell you're a state alchemist! The hell you are!" Ed snarled.

"Let's play …"

He snapped. Tears welled up in his eyes as he screamed. Kaela couldn't do anything.

* * *

"If there ever was an act of the devil in this world, this case would definitely have to be it."

"The devil, huh? Then again, state alchemists must be willing to act, and not refuse when ordered to take another's life. As far as dealing with others' lives, Mr Tucker's actions and our own positions are not all that far apart."

Mustang walked down the steps of the main entrance to the military headquarter, shortly followed by Riza Hawkeye. The pouring rain did not deter him. "And we chose this path, know that fact full well." He paused midway. "Isn't that right Fullmetal?"

Ed sat on the steps, his body condensed, his soul wounded. Al sat close by, his usually glowing eyes dark. Kaela, however, stood behind them, staring up at the crying sky, allowing the raindrops to burn her eyes.

"You will probably come across other cases like this one later on," Mustang continued after Edward made no move to respond. "You may have to get your own hands dirty, as well. Are you going to come to a standstill like this, each time it happens?" He made his way down the rest of the steps.

"Whether we get called Dogs of the Military, or cursed as devils," Ed mumbled, hugging himself tighter. Kaela glanced down at him. "Al and I are going to get our bodies back. But even so, we are not devils, let alone gods." He stood. "We're human. We're human!"

By the end of his monologue, he was shouting at the sky, mimicking Kaela's earlier position.

"We can't even save one little girl. We're just insignificant humans," he said to himself.

Kael wasn't sure if it's rain or tears on his face.

* * *

 **I know I'm not the only one who dislikes this chapter because of how sad it is, but it's also really eye-opening as well. This episode was totally necessary for character growth, along with the next chapter.**

 **HOWEVER! I am thankful that I worked (slaved) on this chapter for several hours, proofreading it several times. As always, FF &R! Let me know of any mistakes and inconsistencies. **


	4. Rain of Sorrows

**Here's the second installment of the day. I thought these two chapters should be posted together because they are equally depressing, just at different ends of the story. I'm sorry if it seems a bit rushed and short. I wanted there to be some KaelEd stuff, but I have always had a hard time writing emotional scenes, so I kinda blew through it.**

 **Besides that, please enjoy! (Well, as much as you can considering how upsetting this episode was)**

* * *

Rain of Sorrows

* * *

"Mom … Mom …"

Kaela awoke to Ed groaning in his sleep. Her own sleep had been dreamless, thankfully, but seeing Ed tossing and turning was concerning, especially if they were about his mother. Ed's dreams, even after Trisha Elric's death, were mostly pleasant., although he did suffer from night terrors after the failed transmutation. It was rare when Kaela woke to him calling out for something other than food.

She sat up and slid her legs off of the bed, ready to wake him up and tell him it was just a dream before he sat up with start. Ed's chest rose and fell rapidly, his limbs tense and ready for a fight or flight. Sweat covered his body, dampening his shirt, hair, and the sheets below him.

"Are you okay, Nii-san?" Al asked after a moment, allowing Ed to regain his senses and realize they were in their room at headquarters, the rain trailing down the window panes. "You were having a nightmare."

Kaela hadn't seen Ed this distraught in a long time, and it hurt. It hurt both her and Alphonse to see Edward like this. Ed felt powerless and so did she. His golden eyes, usually filled with a burning fire of determination had dulled into fear and guilt. Eyebrows that were usually angled downward pointed up. His head hung, and he hugged his metal leg, flaxen hair covering his expression.

Kaela couldn't help him.

They readied themselves in silence. Ed took comparatively much less time in the bathroom than the days before. Kaela didn't nag him while she weaved and threaded his braid, hoping her fingers were as soothing as possible. They were out the door before the sun rose in the sky.

She quietly followed the brothers to wherever their destination was, trailing behind further than usual. When Ed and Al stopped at Riza Hawkeye's office, Kaela was a good yard away, watching, waiting.

Al kept glancing behind, worried about Kaela. She had thrown up a lot yesterday, and she still hadn't looked good in the morning. But now that they were on the move, her skin looked less waxy and her eyes were clear and alert. It was almost normal, except for the fact that Kaela had not spoken since the discovery of Nina.

Ed was ready to knock on Riza's office door before it opened to reveal the lieutenant herself. Her brown, doe eyes widened at the sight of the group. "What's the matter, you three? What are you up so early for?"

Ed stuttered, for once in his life unsure of his footing, unsure of how to move on from here. "S-So, um…" He glanced down, unable to meet her worried gaze. "What's going to become of Tucker and Nina?"

Riza faltered become hardening her expression. "Mr. Tucker was scheduled to be stripped of his certification and go to trial, but both of them are dead."

"Dead?!" Al drew forward, disbelief surfacing in his voice. Ed's jaw dropped, unable to find his voice, if only for a moment.

A thick, cotton lump made its way into Kaela's throat. Another person she couldn't stop, couldn't save.

"You'll find this out eventually anyhow, so I'll just tell you now." The lieutenant walked past them down the hallway.

"H-How? By who?!" Ed cried out.

Riza proceeded down the hall, wrapping a black coat around her as a shield to the cold rain outside. Ed followed like a lost puppy, taking in every word she said, "We don't know," she said coldly. "I was just heading over to the scene myself."

Al, who had quickly followed behind his brother with the same determination, stated, "We're coming, too!"

Kaela kept pace behind them, the caboose, not caring what was decided. She really didn't know if she could handle seeing Nina's lifeless body, cruelly taken from her twice. Nevertheless, Kaela also knew that both Al and Ed wanted to confirm, wanted to have this last moment with the little girl and her dog that had been a bright light on their so far shadowy and broken lives.

"No," Riza said, causing guilty relief to bubble inside Kaela's stomach and smoothing over some of the fear she held. Though, knowing Ed, he would fight.

"Why not?!" He demanded, a small fire back in his soul.

Riza turned around on her heel sharply, stopping the boys and consequently Kaela in their tracks. Her stare said everything she was going to say, but Ed still needed the reinforcement. "It's best you don't see this."

And with that, Riza was already down the hall before either Edward or Alphonse could respond to her disapproval.

Kaela felt awful for being glad that Riza had put her foot down firmly, but she was _scared_. She was scared of the pain of going through that again. Nina at this point was just another person to be added to the list of people she wasn't able to save. And from what the lieutenant insinuated, their murder scene was _not_ pretty.

She followed Al and Ed wherever they went like a shadow, lost in her own thoughts. By the time they had reached the edge of the city, her eyes had glazed over and it had taken her a full two minutes to reach the fountain where Al and Ed had already sat down.

Both brothers looked at her strangely, at which Kaela could make out the vague concern in Al's eyes. She could only weakly smile in return, sitting on the ground in front of them. Kaela didn't really care whether her bum was soaked at this point or not from the running water in the cracks of the stone. The persistent rain had already drenched her clothes at this point.

It was maybe half an hour or more before Ed spoke. Kaela's full attention was given to him, not feeling the need to pay attention to her surroundings.

"I've been thinking for a long time," he said slowly, "what is the alchemy that we believe in? 'Alchemy is knowing the laws and flow that exists within matter, its decomposition, and reconstruction. The world also follows laws and has a flow, and everything circulates. The death of people is a part of that flow. Accept the flow.' Heh, that's what Teacher would always say to us."

He grinned, but it never reached his eyes. The rain-soaked hair was beginning to curl, covering blank, dampened eyes that stared through Kaela as if she wasn't there. "I thought I understood it. But I didn't understand it. That's why we transmuted Mom." Finally, the pain showed as he scrunched his eyebrows together. "And now, I'm thinking again, 'isn't there something we can do?' about something we can't do anything about. I'm such an idiot. I haven't grown at all since then."

Al looked up at him, somewhat shocked at his words. In his opinion, he believed otherwise. But he knew it would be better if his older brother let everything out. "I thought the rain might wash away some of this gloom from me. But right now, every drop hitting my face is depressing."

"Since I don't have a body," Al started when Ed paused, "I can't even feel the rain hitting my skin. That's something I miss. It's painful. I really want to get my body back again soon and be human again. Even if it means going against the flow of the world, and it's something we can't do anything about."

Kaela stayed silent. She couldn't help them.

"You are the Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric, right?" Kaela twisted around, startled by the large man whom she hadn't heard coming. He was huge in both height and muscularity; one could even under his coat that his arms could squash a head like a watermelon. His face, though, was far more intimidating. The tanned skin with white hair, the X-shaped scar on his forehead, the sunglasses he wore even though it was raining out, it all reminded Kaela of something, a description somewhere.

Kaela stood quickly, as something about the man was off. She reached for her holsters, then realizing that she had left her handguns in the room back at headquarters. Why was she always so useless?

Ed looked up at the man with glazed eyes. The stranger sucked in a breath and drew his right hand up, forming a claw. The young state alchemist's eye widened.

"Nii-san!" Al pulled him out of the way just as the man propelled his hand forward, narrowly missing Edward entirely.

Somewhere, the city's clock tower rang. Everything moved in slow motion as Ed was drawn back by his brothers gauntlets. Kaela ran toward them, nearly slipping on the wet stone underneath her.

Once Kaela was safely behind a certain range, Ed clapped his hands and slammed them onto the ground, a bit of his ferocity returning to him. He fell to the ground as he watched a massive, cylindrical stone wall form around their attacker. "What the hell-?!"

Ed was cut off by an explosion of stone, the wall between him and the strange man destroyed. When the dust cleared, it revealed the man's furious composure, his eyes behind the sunglasses piercing through Edward. As the attacker moved forward, his right hand twitched, forming another claw as he walked.

Ed wasn't moving. Why wasn't Ed moving?

"Ed, get up!" Kaela screamed. With that, it was like she had broken a trance. Ed scrambled to his feet, grabbing her wrist and pulling Kaela into a run, Al close by their side. They made it to the stairs that would take them down to the main floor of the city, but they were cut off when their attacker burst through the wall in front of them, jumping down onto the staircase.

"You're not getting away." His hand twitched and blue lightning came forth. _Alchemy_? He sent the force forward, crumbling the stairs below the three. Kaela fell with a yelp, only to be grabbed by Edward, hanging by his foot from Al's hand.

The fear in his eyes caused her own face to morph into horror. In the split second that they hung there, Kaela realized that, for the first time in her life, that Ed wasn't strong enough. He didn't have a plan.

Ed focus shifted to the scarred man, who had placed his right hand on the wall of the staircase, sending explosions their way. Kaela lost her grip on Ed and the three of them fell onto the next staircase, which wrapped around the one above. Ed managed to upright himself midfall so that he landed next to his brother and Kaela on his bum instead his face.

Their attacker began to move again.

"Al! Kaela! Grab on!" Ed was yelled. He clapped and smacked the ground, thrusting them through the air riding a stone bridge. The stranger destroyed the bridge at its base, slowing their movement of the ground. The stone bridge crumbled beneath them, but this time, everyone managed to gain their footing.

They ran down the street for their lives, none of them turning around to see if the man was chasing them.

"Damn it, what's this about?!" Ed grumbled. "Making enemies is something I've never …," he paused and made a face, "... really avoided, but …" Kaela snorted. "There's no reason for anyone to try and kill me!"

He looked back. Their attacker was hot on their heels. They turned into an alleyway, hoping to confuse them, but the stranger sent forth alchemic lightning, exploding the building around them and blocking of their path.

Kaela cried out and fell to the ground, something heavy crashing down onto her legs. A loud snap resounded through her body. Ed and Al both whirled around, panicking at her voice. "Kaela!"

Kaela winced as she looked back. An enormous stone chunk had fallen from above and crushed her legs. She tried to move them, but to no avail; they were stuck. Gritting her teeth she pushed up with her hands. No use. The pain was too much.

She swiveled her head to look behind her. The man was nearly upon them, blocking their only apparent exit from the alley. There wasn't time. Even if Ed and Al managed to get this dumb rock off of her, she would just be dead weight. At this point, she was sure her legs were broken.

Ed and Al had begun to run back for her but she shook her head vigorously. "No! Go on ahead without me!" The shook their heads in retort, still rushing at her. "Turn around! Make a door through the rubble, or something. Get out of here!"

They reached her, falling to their knees to lift them rubble. "Stop, there isn't time for this," she commanded as sternly as possible. Al hesitated, used to trying not displeasing her, but Ed ignored her, pushing off the rock with a grunt. She cried out from the pain. Her legs were tattered, bending slightly in the wrong way. "He's almost here, you idiots!"

Finally, they listened, glancing back to see the man striding toward them. Ed glared their attacker as Al dragged Kaela near a wall and propped her up out of the way. "Who are you?!" Ed shouted. "Why are you coming after us?!"

The man stopped, though Kaela couldn't see what expression he was making. "If there are 'creators' like you, then there must also be 'destroyers.'"

"You're saying we have to fight, then?!" Ed clapped his hands and formed a cutlass from a pipe. The brothers rose protectively in front of Kaela.

"There's still time!" Kaela shouted. "Get the hell out of here!" She knew she was being repetitive, but maybe she would get them to understa-

"Shut up!" Ed growled, not taking his eyes off of the man. "We aren't leaving you. What part of 'together' do you not get?"

Suddenly, Kaela was taken back to when they first left on their journey. She had made them promise her, didn't she? That they would reach the end "together." It was almost funny, how she remembered it now, in the midst of battle.

"You're gutsy," the man said with a smirk. The boy took off running. "But still …" The stranger's hand twitched. Ed slashed his knife at the man, and Al threw his fist, both narrowly missing. "You're too slow!"

The attacker's hand swung back, landing on Al's side, shattering the right side of his body.

"Al!" Both Ed and Kaela cried. The suit of armor crashed to the ground, and Kaela looked on in terror, thinking that the man had disrupted the seal. Al was gone. Al was dead, there wasn't a way to bring him back-

"You bastard!" Ed screamed, sprinting at the man and thrusting his sword forward. Their attacker grabbed Ed's arm.

"Too slow!" Kaela couldn't see exactly what happened but Ed was repelled backward, tumbling into the street. His red overcoat flipped over in front of his face, and, frustrated, he tore the coat off, revealing his mechanical arm.

"Damn!"

"Automail? I see, so that's why bodily destruction didn't injure you."

Ed formed his arm into a blade, staring down the man with fury.

"Nii-san, don't. You should run away," Al called. Kaela felt her heart move again. Alphonse was _alive_. Kaela fell from the wall purposely, turning onto her stomach and crawling forward. If she could just reach Al-

"You dumbass!" Ed retorted. "How can I run away and leave you two behind?"

Kaela continued to army crawl her way down the alley as the man grabbed onto Ed's arm, flattening his left hand against the shoulder. "I will start by destroying this abhorrent right arm of yours."

"No! Don't!" Kaela screamed. She was halfway down the alley now, frantically pulling herself forward with what little arm strength she had. But the man didn't care. In a flash of blue light, Ed's arm was shattered into hundreds of parts, broken beyond repair.

"Nii-san!"

Ed fell onto his back, staring up at the man in fear. He tried to scoot away but lost his balance, falling where his right arm would have normally saved him.

Kaela finally made it to the edge of the alley, close enough so that she could hear the man's words.

"... give you a moment to pray to God," he was saying.

Beside her, Al desperately called out. "Nii-san, run! _Nii-san_!" Ed didn't even look up. Why wasn't he trying to escape?

"Ed, get up!" Kaela cried.

"Unfortunately," Ed muttered, ignoring Kaela's plea. "I don't have any god I'd like to pray to. Am I the only one you're after? Are you planning on killing them, too?"

No.

"If he interferes, I will eliminate him," the stranger said. "However, Fullmetal Alchemist, you are the only one who is receiving judgment."

 _No._

"I see. Then promise you won't harm them." Al gasped.

 _No!_

"I will keep that promise."

"What are you talking about, Nii-san?" Al asked, his voice trembling. "What are you doing? Run! Get up and run!" Ed didn't respond.

The man's hand reached out.

"Ed, you dumbass, get up!" Kaela shouted, pulling herself forward again so that she was almost out the alley. Tears streamed down her face. If only she could move her legs. If only she had her guns

 _Why was she so useless?_

"Stop! Stop!"

The man nearly touched his head.

 _No no no no no no no!_

"Stop! Why you…!" Al reached out.

A gun fired into the air, startling both the stranger and Edward. Mustang's voice called out in the rain. "That's far enough. You sure have been on a royal tear, Scar!"

Kaela felt the rain become relief that washed away her horror and fear. She watched as the man, Scar, stood up straight, backing away from Ed. Kaela pulled herself to one of the walls and propped herself up so she could see what was going on. Al did the same shortly after on the opposite side.

Mustang and all of his subordinates, including Havoc, Fuery, Breda, Falman, and Riza, stood as a firing squad, aiming every gun they had at Scar. Mustang continued, "I'm taking you into custody for being the culprit behind a string of State Alchemist killings."

"Alchemists are those who change things from their natural form into something grotesque," Scar replied. "That is to say, they profane God, the Creator of all things. As an agent of God, I am he who hands down his judgment. If you interfere, I will eliminate you as well."

"He's crazy," Kaela muttered to herself, the effects of adrenaline wearing off. Her vision was starting to get hazy and it was harder to concentrate. The pain in her shattered legs was getting to blindingly searing.

At some point, Scar wasn't standing over Edward anymore, and Riza was firing two pistols at him. A large man, whom Kaela recognized as Major Armstrong, began attacking Scar.

She blinked wearily, and when she opened her eyes, she watched Al punch Ed in the face, his arm shattering from the force.

She blinked again, this time opening her eyes to meet Edward's panicked expression, shaking her with his one good arm.

"-aela!" He yelled, muffled, golden eyes frantic, searching her face. He swung his torso around, keeping a firm grip on her shoulder. "She needs to go to the hospital. _Now_!"

Before she completely passed out, she mumbled something incoherent. Ed returned his focus to her.

"What did you say?" He leaned in so that she could speak into his ear.

"... I said… Edward … Elric … you're a real … dumbass." After that, she was out.

* * *

"Your right leg has two fractures, while your left only has one," the nurse was saying to Kaela. She nodded. The doctors had reset her bones a few hours earlier, which she nearly passed out again from. This was all old news. "It will most likely be around eight weeks or more for it to heal completely, so you will need crutches after we release you after two weeks. Do you need us to supply you a pair?"

"Probably," Kaela mumbled, staring up at the white, textured ceiling. She been awake for the whole day and had had barely any interaction with anyone besides the doctors and nurses. White walls, white floor, white bed, white clothes. Everything was bland and boring. It was awful enough for her to start finding a green mold colony above the window interesting to stare at.

"Alright, we will reserve them for you until you leave the hospital. We recommend that once you leave, you stay off your legs as much as possible. The muscles around your legs will still be torn and it might take a while even after your bones have fused again for the tissue to heal entirely."

"Yeah, thanks." Kaela would need to remind someone later to get her something to write with so that she could mend her bones more quickly. She needed to get out of here.

There was a knock at the door. The nurse quickly made her way over to it, her heels clicking the surface of the marble flooring. She opened the door.

"Who are you?" The nurse asked politely.

"Edward Elric."

The nurse turned to Kaela for confirmation, and Kaela nodded, waving her hand as a gesture to let him in. She sat up a little straighter, though she winced when he nerves fired pain throughout her lower body.

The nurse exited the room and Ed came in, gently shutting the door behind him. A wave of solace washed over Kaela as she noticed that he looked much better than when she had last seen him several days ago. The fire in his eyes had returned, and they no longer looked sunken and glassy. His golden hair was tied in a looser braid than usual due to Kaela not being around, but Kaela preferred it that way.

"You look much better," she said once he pulled up a chair. "Though, you're missing an arm."

Ed rolled his eyes. "You look like you're not in as much pain."

"Oh, you should have seen me earlier when they were setting my bones. I was throwing a tantrum and everything."

He frowned slightly. "How are they? Your legs, I mean."

Kaela hesitated for a moment before removing the blanket that covered her lower half, revealing two heavily bandaged limbs. She watched as Ed's face became pained as he pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes at the blood that seeped through from the long gashes you had received from the falling rubble.

"Does it hurt?" He asked, scooting closer to her bedside.

"Terribly," Kaela deadpanned. "About as much as you'd expect from three bone fractures." She regretted her words once she saw Ed's face fall even more. "Hey, honestly? I think you got the worse end of the deal. I mean, your arm is _gone_. Don't worry about it."

Ed wordlessly reached into his pants pocket, pulling out a pair of black fingerless gloves, a transmutation messily hand stitched on the palms. "Sorry, but I snuck into your dresser. I grabbed these for you. Here."

Kaela absolutely beamed as she snatched the gloves from his hand, immediately putting them on. "Oh, you don't know how happy I am to see these! Thanks, Ed. Now, I can get out of here more quickly and we can be on our way." She clapped her hands together and placed them on her legs, yelping slightly when the healing process began. It felt like adding oil to the fire, but she knew this would help her in the long run.

After a moment, he asked, "When do think you'll be okay enough to leave Central?" He peered at her alchemy. He found it interesting how she did it, but he never gained enough medical knowledge to try it out for himself. Thus they had always just stuck to having her heal him after battles. He knew it must feel like hell. All she was doing was speeding up the curative process, meaning triple the normal amount of pain. Kaela was doing a good job of holding it in. Usually, Ed would be yelling and babbling some obscenities as she calmly did her work.

"Well, they- the doctors, I mean, think I'll be good enough to leave after two weeks, but I think if I keep at this, for the time being, I should be alright by tonight." Her eyebrows furrowed in concentrations as she massaged her thigh. This one was the smallest fracture, but the hardest to heal due to the bone being thicker.

"So, we'll be able to head to Resembool tomorrow morning?"

Kaela looked puzzled for a moment before it hit her. "Oh, yeah, probably should get your arm fixed."

He snorted. "I'm glad to know that you think of me in your spare time."

"Pfft, you know Al's really my favorite." Ed scoffed, though Kaela read his expression. She decided to ignore it. "Speaking of which … how is Al?"

"Well," Ed began, scrunching up his face. "Right now he's unable to walk or produce alchemy, so he's hanging out in our room for the time being. He wanted to come to see you, but I didn't really want to break anything else off getting him here, so he's probably reading a book or something."

Kaela nodded. She would have liked to see Al too, but they couldn't take the chance that he could break even further and rupture the blood seal. "Makes sense. How is he feeling?"

"As I said, he can't really do much, so he's feeling pretty cooped up at the moment. Not to mention I told him that when we take the train home he's going to have be in the cargo section." A grin formed on his face. "Al's not too excited about that."

Kaela giggled, thinking about Al sitting with all the suitcases and animals. She almost felt bad for him. Almost.

"Okay. So Resembool tomorrow." Kaela went back to work. "Can you book a pass not so early in the morning this time?" When Ed made a face, she shot him a look. "Don't give me that. As much as I'm a morning person, you aren't when we are sleeping in beds. Not to mention, I'm kind of scared to get up."

His expression softened slightly. "I get it. I'll book three passes for the early afternoon."

"Three? I thought Al wasn't coming with us on the passenger train."

"He's not. Major Armstrong is escorting us in case Scar decides to try something else."

"Armstrong … he's the big guy who likes to flex his muscles, yeah?" Kaela vaguely remembered him protecting them a couple days ago.

"That's him, alright."

"Okay. Good. He's strong." She paused from her work. Kaela had just finished one of the fractures, but she needed to take a quick break. The pain really got to her sometimes, and she wasn't exactly looking forward to doing this two more times. "Anything else?"

Ed was silent for a moment. At first, Kaela thought he couldn't think of anything, but when she saw his face, she knew better. A shadow of regret had passed over his face, and he refused to look at her.

"Ed?"

"I'm… sorry."

"What?" One of her brows rose. Ed rarely apologized directly. Something was still really eating him. "Why?"

"What happened … with Scar."

Oh. _Oh._

"You mean when you _gave up_?" she mumbled bitterly, her mood instantly turning sour. His shoulders tensed, but Kaela didn't care. He needed to know that she was hurt. "You mean, when you willingly sacrificed yourself for us, even though it was possible that the man wouldn't kill us if you did run?"

"I thought it was the only way to save you two," he shot back, frustration appearing on his face.

"No, you were just tying up loose ends. It sounded to me like you _wanted_ to die!"

"And what if I did?!" Ed was shouting. "It hasn't exactly been easy, these last six years. I can only fight for so long!"

Kaela's fists clenched, her nails digging into her palms until she felt a thin rip in her skin. There was some pricking behind her eyes, but she swallowed it down, refusing to resort to those tactics. Instead, she focused on the whirling scarlet in her heart. "That's the point of the word 'together', Ed. That promise that _you_ reminded me of was supposed to keep us three side by side for the rest of our journey. We share our happiness, our burdens, even our deaths together."

"That's … that's why I'm apologizing." He glanced back down at the floor, trembling as he gripped his leg so hard his knuckles turned white. "I felt that way, but I was being … selfish. I wanted you two to live. It didn't matter if I died." Ed swallowed, meeting Kaela's eyes gradually. "At least, that was my mindset until yesterday. I realized I can't die yet. I need to get Al's body and my limbs back. You and my brother helped me see that."

Kaela kept eye contact, but eventually, she backed down. There was still some swirling red in her chest, but Ed had soothed a large portion of it, replacing it was a somber blue. "I'm sorry, too."

It was Ed's turn to be shocked. "Wait, wait. I thought this was about _me_ apologizing to _you_. Not the other way around."

"Do you want to hear my apology or not?"

"Sorry," he chuckled lightly. "I just didn't expect one out of you, that's all."

"Right back at you." Kaela glanced down at her legs. The dried blood under the wrappings was really beginning to itch now. "I'm sorry I didn't understand how you were feeling. I mean, I was and am really sad about what happened to Nina, but I didn't really think how it would affect you or Al. So, I guess, I was being selfish, too." She huffed out a light, humorless laugh. "I was so caught up in my own feelings that I didn't even notice the most obvious signs."

"Oh." How exceptionally quiet he was today.

Kaela grinned and met his eyes again, silver contrasting with gold. "How about this, hmm?" She held up her left hand and formed a fist, leaving her pinky standing up. "Let's make a promise that we'll never be selfish again."

"Kaela, we haven't done this since we were five." Ed wrinkled his nose.

"Exactly! That's why it's going to be fun and nostalgic," she exclaimed happily.

"No. This is for kids," he said, firm in his decision until Kaela gave him a sharp look that gave him war flashbacks. Ed rolled his eyes, unable to stop a smirk from forming on his face. "Fine, fine. Only for you, you tyrant." He met his hand with hers, linking their pinkies together.

"Alright! If either of us breaks this promise, Winry gets to beat them over the head with a wrench."

"Wait-" Kaela quickly let go before he could object, a cheeky smile reaching her eyes.

"It's too late, that's the deal."

"Don't you think that's a little harsh?" He shuddered, thinking about all the times Winry had been angry with him before.

"Then you better not break the promise, Ed. It's in your best interest not to."

Ed snorted and ran his hand through his hair, wistfulness flashing across his face. "You know, you like to act all bad and tough around everyone, but Al and I both know you haven't grown up a bit since we were ten."

Kaela's expression softened. "I could say the same for you." She began working on her leg again, the green light from her alchemy casting a forested hue on the white walls and ceiling. "We grew up too fast, don't you think? I don't think there's a problem in us acting a little childish every now and then."

Ed sat in reticence for a while, watching his best friend work and mulling over his words. It was a comfortable quiet, one that only those who spent nearly every moment together could experience. Maybe twenty minutes passed before Ed finally pulled himself to his feet.

"Al's probably missing me," he said.

"Then you should probably go."

"Yeah. See you later, Kaela."

"Bye, Ed. Tell Alphonse I said hello."

Ed shut the wooden door with a casual wave, leaving Kaela once again by herself, knitting together her bone tissue to the rhythm of the blood pumping throughout her body.

* * *

 **Yay! The sad stuff is (mostly) over! At least for a while. FF &R! Thanks again for reading!**


	5. Road of Hope

**I'm back! Please don't kill me. Unfortunately, life, a.k.a applying for and getting accepted into college, gets in the way. I will fight back if you decide I must perish for my inability to be consistent.**

 **This chapter is LONG. Twenty-four whole pages! Or maybe I just felt it was long. It probably just me.**

 **Either way, sorry for the late update. I hope you enjoy this chapter from episode six!**

* * *

Road of Hope

* * *

Early the next morning, Kaela hobbled her way down the cold floors of the residential building at headquarters. She had just escaped one of the nurses who tried to tell her she wasn't healed enough, but when Kaela swung her knee back and forth like a well-oiled hinge, the nurse was speechless. Kaela deftly sneaked out of the hospital wing after that.

As she limped, her bare feet tingled from the chilly marble. The clothes she had left in the hospital were in tatters and her shoes were smashed, so there was no point in trying to get them back. Still, the chill made her regret not asking Edward to bring her back some extra clothes.

Oh well. She was making good time anyway. By now, her room was just at the end of this hallway.

Kaela hoped she wouldn't wake anybody up with the clacking of her crutch. It was only two in the morning, and she would have waited until later but the hospital bed was starting to feel stiff. Hopefully, she wouldn't wake up someone like Riza or Mustang and get pulverized for doing so. Though, Kaela vaguely recalled the lieutenant and the colonel living somewhere else. She couldn't remember whether they living separate or together.

Finally, after what seemed like five years instead of five minutes, Kaela managed to make it to her room. She opened to door slowly, hoping she wouldn't wake Ed with the creaking noise the hinges produced. Thankfully, Ed's snoring stayed consistent.

Kaela stepped into the room, favoring the wall in place of the crutch she set near the entryway. She nearly tripped over something in the dark of the room.

"Kaela? What are you doing here?" asked the mysterious lump on the floor. Kaela caught herself on the wall and turned around, only to find a suit of armor reflecting the light of the moon.

"Al?" She chuckled slightly. Kaela had been so focused on getting to her bed that she hadn't even looked down. "Sorry for tripping over you. I was a little distracted."

"Oh, that's okay!" Even in the darkness, Kaela could make out the half moon glow of his eyes that signaled a smile. "Just… what are you doing here so late? Or, early, I guess."

"Ah, yeah, sorry about that, too." She sat on her bed, bouncing slightly on the mattress. Sighing, she continued. "I kind of just wanted to sleep in my own bed tonight. The hospital isn't all that comfortable."

"I see. Ed already booked a ticket for around ten this morning, so you'll be able to sleep in plenty."

"Fantastic," Kaela said with a yawn. She crawled to the head of the bed, not noticing that her paper gown was far too short and Al was doing his very best to look anywhere but at Kaela. When she had settled under the covers, she peered over at Al. For a moment, she was silent. "Does it hurt?"

"You mean what happened with Scar?" Al asked. Kaela nodded. "Mm-mmm. Not at all. It just felt like I was losing some range of motion."

"It's good you didn't feel pain." Kaela pulled the blankets further up so that they revealed only her eyes and above. "I was worried … afraid … that it was too painful."

"But it wasn't." Another half moon glow. "Rest, Kaela. I'll be better soon."

She closed her eyes and slept.

When she opened them again, Kaela met those familiar golden eyes, glaring down at her with irritation and embarrassment.

"I need help. Getting dressed." Ed said, inches away from her face.

Normally, Kaela would have just rolled her eyes, but for some reason, something burned inside her chest and rose to her face, flushing her skin red and closing the space between her brows. She remembered the thin paper gown under the blanket. With a yell, she shot a fist up and connected it with his face, knocking him off the bed.

"Oh my God, Ed!" Kaela cried as she sat up, realizing what she had done out of instinct.

"Nii-san!"

"Ugh…" Ed groaned and struggled to push himself up with one arm. Karl swung her leg off the bed, forgetting both that her legs weren't working correctly and that she was still wearing that paper gown, and plunged to the ground next to Ed once she tried to stand up.

"What the hell?" Ed yelled when he saw her sitting next to him, her clothing barely covering enough. "What are you wearing?"

"Urgh … I didn't feel like changing earlier … my legs were already blown out from walking all the way here last night."

Ed averted his eyes as she climbed back onto the bed. "You should have called for me. I would have come and gotten you."

"It was late, and I didn't want to wake you up." Sitting on the edge of the bed, Kaela held out her hand. "Here."

He grabbed her hand, and together, they pulled him up. Grinning, Ed said, "We're all kind of a mess, huh?"

"Go get me my crutch and let me change into some clothes, then I'll help you," Kaela said with a snort.

Ed did as she asked, grumbling about how she made him do everything until she smacked him on the head with the crutch. Kaela was a little bummed her go-to outfit was shredded and burned at the hospital before she could use alchemy on them, but winter was approaching and, with the added reason of being cold all the time as of late, warmer clothes were a must.

Pulling out a plain blue crew neck and slim dress pants, she managed to get into the new clothes without too much trouble by herself. After the usual brushing of her teeth and hair, Kaela limped out of the bathroom to find Ed struggling with his pants.

The young alchemist looked up, this time his own face turning red as he sat half-naked in only his boxers. "Uh… I can do this by myself," he mumbled.

"You obviously can't, dummy." Kaela sat next to him on the bed, the weird feeling in her chest absent this time around. "Come here. This is why you woke me up in the first place, right?"

Ed said nothing as she helped him out his feet into the black slacks. Without a word between them, Kaela pulled his shirt over his head and buttoned his jacket.

"Thanks, Kaela," he said while he sat on the floor as she combed through his hair. She smiled softly although he couldn't see her.

"Just because you help people on a regular basis doesn't mean you don't need help with mundane things like this," she said, beginning to section his hair. After a few moments of continued silence, she continued. "I've been meaning to ask you this, but how in the world did you manage to braid your hair yesterday? You can't have done that by yourself."

"I did it!" Al said happily from the edge of the room.

"You know how to braid?"

"It was actually a combined effort. I was in charge of one section of hair!"

Kaela tried to picture Ed coordinating Al and himself to weave his hair. She chuckled out loud at the thought. No wonder it looked so messy yesterday.

Kaela glanced at Al whilst she braided Ed's hair. She hadn't seen him since the attack a few days ago, and it was too dark to really see him last night. But now that she saw him, her heart sank. Not only was his leg gone, but so was his right arm, covered only by a white cloth. It must have been so weak from the attack that it shattered after Kaela passed out.

"We really have had it rough, haven't we?" She muttered mostly to herself.

"What?" Ed turned his head to look up at her.

"Nothing. Let's get going. The train is going to leave in a couple hours and it's going to take me a lot longer than usual to get there." Kaela dropped the finished braid and pulled Ed off of the floor.

A knock echoed from the door. Kaela attempted to stand, but Ed waved her off with an "I'll get it." He opened the door to reveal Major Armstrong. Unlike before, when they had almost always seen him wearing his uniform, the enormous man was wearing what could be considered a regular outfit. Dark grey trousers, an olive vest over a white button-down and black tie, and a suit jacket made him look like your average citizen if you could ignore his size. Armstrong was carrying a rather large box, presumably for Al.

"Good morning, young Elrics!" Armstrong said, his face forming into a bright smile. He leaned his head to the side and noticed Kaela. "And to you, too, Miss Rockbell!"

While Ed's face fell at the sight of the overt man, Kaela waved back. She particularly enjoyed Armstrong's presence because it irritated Ed, and that was a funny sight.

"Good morning, Major! Are you ready for our trip?"

"Of course! Though, we must hurry if we are to get Alphonse onto the train!" The major had to duck in order the enter the room. The oak floorboards beneath his feet creaked in protest. "Although we have the tickets, getting him aboard the luggage area might be an issue."

"Then let's get going," Ed said. Armstrong picked up Al with ease and set him inside the box. Al was forced to curl up to fit into the crate. With that finished, the strange group made their way to the train station.

Armstrong left to find Al a luggage car to sit in once they made onto the terminal, leaving Kaela and Ed to go find their seats on the train. Kaela immediately slumped against the window, watching the other passengers. It was interesting to people watch in East City. The people she tended to meet with Ed and Al were eccentric and different, each a personality unique to Kaela. But here in a large city like this? There were bound to be normal people.

She imagined the gentleman sitting across from their seat to be a stockbroker, with his bowler hat and fancy watch on his wrist. His young wife might be a well-known lady that hosts tea parties every Tuesday and Thursday, a lady that giggle about handsome men, fashion upsets, and mundane things that Kaela had never been able to enjoy. Sometimes, Kaela would take it a step further and wonder what she and boys' lives would be like had they never tried to resurrect Trisha Elric. Would the brothers have become state alchemists, even then? Would Kaela grow up and become a doctor as she had wanted? Would the three of them separate from each other?

Kaela glanced behind her at a young couple stuck to the hip, the light caresses of their hands causing her the blush and turn around in a flash. Still, it made her frown. Kaela hadn't really ever thought of falling in love, marrying, having kids and the like. Sure, she loved kids, and Kaela knew when a guy was attractive, but it hadn't crossed her mind that those things would eventually happen to her.

Her wandering mind came to a halt when Major Armstrong reappeared onto the train, his head swiveling around looking for the two alchemists. Kaela raised a hand and waved to him. The giant noticed her and smiled, striding over to their seats and plopping himself next to Ed. Ed looked slightly disgruntled but didn't say a word.

A steady rap on the window interrupted the whistles and hissing of the trains coming and going around them. Ed looked up and noticed a familiar face on the other side of the glass.

"Yo!"

Ed opened the window. "Lieutenant Colonel Hughes!"

"The folks at the Eastern Command Center were all busy and couldn't come, so I'm seeing you off instead," Hughes said. Kaela noticed the tired eyebags through his glasses and the five o'clock shadow that covered his face.

"Thank you, Lieutenant Colonel," she said, trying to put as much sincerity in her voice as possible. He gave her a grin that managed to reach his eyes.

"That's fine and all, but…" Ed's eyes slid with disdain to the major who was sitting next to him. "Why is the major still here?" Armstrong sparkled (Kaela wasn't exactly sure what it was or how the major did it) and didn't respond to the negative tone in Ed's voice.

"Isn't it obvious?" Hughes replied, leaning his forearm onto the side of the coach. "What if Scar were to attack you again, or something of the like? You'd be in trouble in the shape your both in, right?"

Ed absentmindedly clutched his arm and squeezed it, a sigh escaping his throat.

"The major means well. Just accept it willingly," the man outside the train continued shrugging slightly.

"Children need not act so coy!" Armstrong said, unknowingly setting off a spark in Ed's head.

"Don't treat me like a child!" Ed shouted. He sobered up a second later and asked, "By the way, you're sure Al got aboard, right?"

"Of course. I put him with the sheep."

"The sheep?!" Kaela's jaw dropped before she began bellowing with laughter. " Why-Why did you-haha!- put him there?" An image popped into her head of Al inside his crate surrounded by the wooly animals bleating around him.

"I thought he would lonesome all by himself." The major said ever so seriously, only empathy in his voice.

"What do you think my brother is?!" Ed yelled.

The bell of the train rang, signaling their soon departure. "Oh, it's time," the lieutenant colonel said with a smirk, looking at the clock on the center of the station. The whistle blew. "Well, then," Hughes said, saluting the three in the train car. "Be careful on your journey. If you ever come by Central, give me a holler."

All three stood up and saluted the officer, nods rippling through the group. The train left the station, but Hugh still stood saluting it until it was out of sight.

Ed fell asleep quickly after that, and Kaela didn't want to disturb Major Armstrong's reading, so she simply stared out the window until she, too, succumbed to sleep's calling for the rest of the day and night.

The next morning, the train stopped at a smaller town that Kaela didn't recognize. Upon arriving, Ed woke up with a yawn, stretching his one arm and groaning. Suddenly, Armstrong happened to glance out the window and abruptly stood up and leaned his head out the window, squishing Ed midstretch.

"Doctor Marcoh!" He called, somewhat surprised and frantic. Kaela leaned her head out the window and Ed pressed his face up against the glass to get a better look. "Doctor Marcoh, that's you, isn't it?! It's Alex Louis Armstrong, from Central!"

An older man dressed in a dark olive coat and brown slacks turned around, a look of panic gradually spreading onto his face. He quickly turned around and ran from the station, not even looking back once.

"Friend of yours?" Ed asked once Armstrong stopped squashing him.

"He's a capable state alchemist from Central. He was researching how to apply alchemy to medical treatment, but he went missing after the Ishvalan Civil War."

Kaela nodded. "I read a lot of his books back at your old house, Ed. His books taught me almost everything I know about healing alchemy."

Ed sucked in a breath, an expression of determination overcoming him, and slid out from under Armstrong. "Let's get off, Major. A person like him might know something about transmuting living things." He ran off the train without another word. Armstrong looked at Kaela, puzzlement clear in his icy blue eyes.

She could only lift her shoulders and grin. "He gets like this sometimes."

After the major picked up Al from the livestock car, they and Kaela met up with Ed already asking around the village placed on the mountainside. It was a beautiful town, with winding streets along the cliffs, the white stucco buildings engulfed by vines.

Again, she imagined a normal life of her own. What if she lived here? The small town had a station, and that would be enough to travel to Resembool and East City in a similar amount of time. It wouldn't be a problem to see the Elric brothers and her sister and grandmother. She imagined herself running her own infirmary, having patients paying only what they could afford and giving what she didn't need to the local businesses.

"Do you know this person, by any chance?" Major Armstrong was saying to one of the villagers. The sketch he was showing them was a spitting image of the man they had seen at the train station.

"Major, you sure draw well," Ed said, though his tone wasn't entirely praising.

"I agree!" Kaela peered over to get a better look at the drawing.

"The art of drawing in likeness has been passed down among the Armstrongs for generations," Armstrong said proudly.

The villager's face brightened into recognition. "That looks like Doctor Mauro."

"Mauro?"

"During the civil war," the villager continued, a smile growing onto his face. "The town's doctors were all drafted, which left us hard up. Doctor Mauro really saved us when he came here."

"He doesn't give up on any patients, and sees them all," another villager told them later on. "We're glad to have him."

"No sooner do you see this flash of light, then you're cured!" A woman said. The three glanced at each other, brows all knitted in knowing.

"Can you point us in the right direction, ma'am?" Kaela asked.

"Oh, are you sick?" The woman looked down at Kaela's crutch and unsteady balance.

"No, but my friend here," she jerked her head at Ed, "is deathly ill. He even lost his arm from the sickness!" Her eyes projected down in faux sorrow, although she could feel Ed's glare on her back.

"Oh, my! Well, he's just up the way … down there … turn at this road …"

"Thank you very much!"

On their way to the place the lady had directed, Ed elbowed her ribs. "Why did I have to be sick?"

"Because you're the one who decided to look for the man. Besides, I couldn't really think of anything else." Kaela would have shrugged if she wasn't using the crutch. Ed only rolled his eyes.

"I think that's the house up there, on that hill," Al's voice said from the crate on Armstrong's shoulder. The house he pointed to was a fairly minimalist house, built in a cuboidal shape with the exception of the floor, where it slanted from the natural incline. Bits of ivy reached the second level, but no farther than that. Leading up to the second level, which Kaela assumed to be the main level, was a set of stairs with an iron railing for safety.

They walked up the mountain, Armstrong a considerable ways behind Ed and Kaela. Though the major was strong, Kaela wasn't going to blame him if he was tired. The villagers around here all had pretty toned legs, from what she had seen, and young locals still stopped occasionally to rest. When they had reached the simple block home with overgrowth along the walls, Kaela found it surprising that Armstrong hadn't even broken a sweat even with Al on his shoulder.

Ed skipped up the steps and read the nameplate at the door. "This is the place." He knocked on the door twice and moved to open it. "Hello-"

Ed found himself face to face with a barrel of a gun, dodging out of the way just in time before the pistol went off. Kaela's own handgun was out in an instant, pointing at the supposed Doctor Mauro.

"What are you here for?!" The strange man squawked, eyes darting between the guns pointed at his face and Major Armstrong. "Are you here to take me back there?!"

"Please, calm down, Doctor." Armstrong put up a hand in an attempt to soothe the frightened man. Ed trembled and pressed himself up against the wooden door.

The doctor shook his head, and his gun quivered. "I don't ever want to go back there! Please, anything but that!"

"It's not that. Hear me out-"

"Then you're here to silence me, is that it?!" Kaela wondered if Doctor Marcoh's face was normally serious and stern. His square jawline, large nose, and narrowed eyes reminded her of some of the older officers back at headquarters. However, the largest difference was the plain fear that morphed his face from strong to weak.

"No, it's not that!" Major Armstrong was beginning to lose his calm and took on more of a scolding tone. When realizing this, he sighed. Then, out of nowhere, he threw Al's box at Doctor Marcoh, slamming him into the ground. "Please, I'm asking you to calm down!"

"Al!" Ed yelped.

It was easier to get the doctor to cool off once they had taken his gun away. They ended up sitting at a large, wooden, square table in the center of his work area. Kaela scanned the room. A couple cases sat in the corner of the room, one filled with medical books and the like, the other line with medicines and supplies. There were many wooden crates in the room that was in no particular place, but Kaela saw that one of them contained a good amount of stones. On one side of the room was a small alcove with a mysterious cabinet; the other side had several clean, white-sheeted beds lined up against the wall.

Armstrong sat on one side of Marcoh, who somehow managed to look sheepish and fearful at the same time. Ed sat across from the older man, with Kaela standing behind him like a sentry, leaning just barely on the wooden prop. Doctor Marcoh eyed her and the guns in her holsters warily while she stared at him, watching for anymore fight or flight actions.

"Imagine, changing your name and living in hiding out here in the countryside," Armstrong said, his tone back to seriousness. "I'd heard stories that you disappeared, and that you took top-secret materials with you."

"I couldn't take it anymore. Nevermind that it was ordered from above, to have to dirty my hands researching that thing…" Marcoh trailed off and screwed his eyes shut from the memories.

"That thing?" Ed asked, mostly under his breath.

"During the Ishvalan Civil War," Marcoh began, "So many innocent people lost their lives because of it." He flinched again and his breath hitched. "I could give my whole life, and still not atone for what I've done. Even so, I decided to do all that I could, so I became a doctor here."

"Doctor, just what was it that you were ordered to research?" Armstrong asked. The curiosity was eating away Kaela's patience, and she leaned in slightly.

Marcoh looked up but didn't meet anyone's eyes, preferring the table. "The Philosopher's Stone."

This enraptured everyone's attention, especially the brothers'. Kaela glanced down at Ed to find his shoulders and hand tense.

"What I took out of there were my research materials, and the Stone itself."

"You have a Stone? Here?!" Ed stood up and slammed his hand on the table, causing Marcoh to jump a little. The doctor hesitated, if only for a moment, then pulled out a small vial of scarlet liquid. He unscrewed the vial's top. "That's the Stone? But it's a liquid…"

Marcoh dumped the contents of the vial onto the table. "What are you doing?!" Kaela nearly shouted. Ed and Al had been risking their lives to find this material and he was just dumping it before their eyes?

But the red liquid didn't splatter onto the table as they had expected. Instead, it formed into a jelly-like matter, completely changing its physical form in a mere second. "'The Sage's Stone,' 'The Celestial Stone,' 'The Grand Elixir,' 'The Red Tincture,' 'The Fifth Element' … Just as the Philosopher's Stone is called by many names, its form is not necessarily that of a stone. However, this is an incomplete product. There's no telling when it will reach its limit and become unstable." Marcoh seemed to shrink even further into his shoulders as he said this, somewhat like a turtle.

"Even so, it demonstrated plenty of force during the Ishvalan Civil War," Ed said darkly. Marcoh's eyes flashed up with an "Eh?" Ed continued, "The same was true of that false priest in Liore. It may have been incomplete, but his abilities were definitely increased. If something that potent can be produced, then depending on the research, a complete product is not impossible." Ed was getting more and more excited as he spoke, enough so that he was grinning by the time he asked, "Doctor Marcoh, can I see your research materials?!"

"Major, who exactly is this boy?" Marcoh asked Armstrong, a hint of panic in his voice again.

Armstrong's forever intense blue eyes slid over to the doctor. "He is a State Alchemist."

"A child like this?" Marcoh pinched the bridge of his nose and winced as if he were in pain. Kaela was beginning to feel sorry for the man because his range of emotions during this visit was quite limited to surprise and fear. "After the civil war, there were so many alchemists who turned in their certifications because they could not bear to be human weapons. And yet, you…"

"I realize how foolish it is!" Ed gripped the base of his missing arm, glaring across the table at the man who stood between him and the object of their long journey. "But even so, I have to keep lying here until I achieve my goal, even if it is on a bed of thorns!"

Twenty minutes later, Marcoh sighed, much less on edge than he had been earlier. "I see. You've committed taboo." He gripped the box containing Al and stared down at him in curiosity. "You surprise me. Imagine: being able to transmute a specific person's soul. You might just be able to produce a complete Philosopher's Stone-"

Ed's face lit up. "So, then…?"

"-But I cannot show you my materials."

"No way!"

"You must not seek after this thing!" Marcoh turned away, obvious shame covering his body.

"Not even to get out bodies back?!"

"No! It is the devil's research!" Ed's face was beginning to get more irritated than frustrated as Marcoh continued. "If you learn about it, you will go through hell."

"I've already gone through hell!" Ed shouted.

They were promptly asked to leave after that. As the three, plus Al, walked down the stairs (more like hobbled in Kaela's instance), Kaela noticed Ed stopping to turn around. Her brow rose. "Maybe if you hadn't been so forceful, he might have been a little more lenient."

Ed didn't respond how she thought he would. "...Maybe," was all she got out of him. Kaela internally shrugged while they marched down the stair to catch up with Armstrong.

They reached the station in relative silence. The guys decided to sit on a bench while waiting, but Kaela decided to walk the edge of the platform, her crutch carefully placed on the side where the edge wasn't, a question that had formed in her head during the earlier conversation being picked apart.

Doctor Marcoh was most definitely suspicious. Not only did he pull a gun on a young boy (to Marcoh's defense, Ed could probably tear him apart if he really wanted to, but Marcoh didn't know that), but he also denied the boy any sort of knowledge even after hearing his story and realizing that he could be easily killed by this boy. There was also the fact that Marcoh was in hiding, to begin with. Something about his research must really be horrifying. Kaela was beginning to not want to know exactly what the creation of the Philosopher's Stone entailed, even if it would help the brothers.

Kaela turned around as the train's whistle blew, the plume of dark smoke not too far in the distance. Armstrong and Ed had already approached the platform with Al on Armstrong's shoulders.

"...What about you, Major?" Ed was saying. "Are you okay with not reporting back to Central about Doctor Marcoh?"

"All I met today was a simple small-town doctor named Mauro," Armstrong replied simply. Ed chuckled. None of them, no matter how upset they were for not obtaining the information on the Stone, would be alerting headquarters the location of the doctor.

"Hey!" Speak of the devil. Marcoh appeared to the left, panting heavily with his hands on his knees. He straightened up just as the train came to a piercing halt.

"Doctor Marcoh…" But Ed didn't have time to finish. Marcoh quickly handed the young man a small piece of folded paper.

"This is where my materials are hidden." Slowly, Ed took the paper from Marcoh's hands. "If you are sure you won't regret learning the truth, then take a look at this. Knowing you, you will be able to find the truth within the truth- No, I've said too much." Marcoh smiled slightly for the first time, though it was a sad sort of smile. He waved as he left. "I pray that the day will come when you get your bodies back."

Kaela followed Armstrong's lead and saluted to the retreating figure's back before stepping onto the train.

"Nii-san, what does it say?" Al asked once they were seated and moving along. They had been able to request that the box of armor would stay on the same car as them for...security reasons.

Ed unfolded the paper and read its contents. "National Central Library, First Branch."

"Ah!" Kaela exclaimed, leaning over to see the paper. "I know where that's at!"

Armstrong nodded. "To hide a tree, place it in a forest. The volume of books there is enormous, after all."

"There are clues about the Stone there." Ed grinned.

* * *

Den and Pinako were waiting for them when the group of three neared the house. They too far away to hear what Pinako yelled inside the house but she could guess who she was yelling at.

"Yo, Granny," Ed called in greeting.

"We're home," Al added. Kaela gave a small wave from behind Armstrong.

"My word, what have you gotten into?" Granny asked. Den's tail wagged when he saw the dog treats in Kaela's hand that she had picked up in the cliffside town.

"A lot has happened. Can you set us up again?" Ed shrugged off her concerned tone. Armstrong set Al down and shook Pinako's hand. "This is Major Armstrong."

"Pinako Rockbell," she offered back. Kaela busied herself with Den, who was torn between the treats in her hand and the curiosity of Al being shoved in a crate. She threw the treat up into the air, watching with a smile as Den jumped up and caught it in his mouth. "You know, I don't see you for a while, Ed, and you've gone and grown smaller."

Ed grunted and stared down at Pinako. "Hey, usually in this situation, you say 'grown bigger'."

Pinako met his challenge. "If you had grown bigger I would have said it."

"What was that, you minimum hag?!" Ed snapped and bared his teeth at her. Suddenly, he was knocked down by a flying object which Kaela identified as a wrench.

"I told you when you come back for maintenance, call first!" A familiar voice called from the balcony.

"Winry! Are you trying to kill me?!" Ed screamed, apparently back from the dead. She only giggled in response.

"Welcome back!" Her eyes turned to Kaela and they widened. "Kaela?"

In moments Winry was downstairs and choking Kaela in what was assumed to be a hug. "I'm glad to see you, too, Winry." Kaela began tapping on Winry's back as her face began to go numb. Thankfully, her sister let go and her chest was allowed to heave in some air.

"I didn't think you came with them for maintenance, Kaela," Winry said, jerking her head over at the practically destroyed brothers.

"Well, I usually don't," Kaela rolled her eyes, "But these guys have created a circumstance in which I can't leave them alone." Winry glanced down at her sister's crutch, confusion making its home in her expression.

"What happened?"

Kaela sighed and gestured toward the house. "Let's just have a look at Ed's arm before we do anything."

It was probably a mistake to show Winry instead of calmly easing her into the situation. She stood horrified, staring at the shattered automail. Screws and bolts that they salvaged were spread out along the table, although the larger plates of metal had some nasty edges to them and most likely couldn't be reused until Ed was able to transmute them into something more useful. Kaela simply chose not to do Ed's dirty work; he could fix his own mistakes.

Winry shrieked and picked up the ripped wires and torn plugs. Ed sat on the couch drinking some coffee nonchalantly, unaware of the possible damage he could receive in a moment.

"Yeah, sorry," Ed said in between sips. "It's all smashed up."

Kaela watched with amusement as Winry's back trembled. "All smashed up? This is the first-rate automail I put my whole heart and soul into making!"

"Yeah, and now it's all in tiny little pieces."

The punch that he received not a second later was not unwarranted, Kaela decided. She drank her own tea while Winry chastised and swiftly kicked Al in his crate.

"And you, Kaela!" Winry cried, turning onto her mellow and relaxed sister. "I know you also got in trouble, too!" She pointed an accusing finger toward Kaela's crutches that lied against the wall near the couch before huffing and placing her hands on her hips. "Geez, all you do is worry me."

"Kaela," Pinako said from behind Winry. "Why don't you and Major Armstrong tell us what happened while-" She glanced down at Ed, who was entirely knocked out, and Al, whose jaw was barely hanging on, "-those two are out of commission."

And she did. Kaela didn't leave a single detail out (except for the ones that would only worry Pinako and Winry, like what had happened at the Tuckers' and Ed's consecutive depression). She also mentioned their previous stop at the cliffside town and the information they had received there.

Pinako tapped her pip into a nearly full ashtray. "I see. And in order to get that information, you want to go to Central as soon as possible?"

"Yeah." Ed nodded, now fully conscious. They sat on the couch while Pinako checked out his shoulder and leg automail. "We'd like you to put a rush on this."

Pinako sighed. "It's not just the arm. Your leg needs adjusting, too."

"Ah, because he's grown so much, right?" Winry jeered with sly eyes.

Kaela elbowed him in the ribs. "Man, I guess you didn't shrink after all. You might even surpass me when you're fifty!"

"Shut up!" Ed growled at both girls. Pinako tapped her pipe on his knee to silence them.

"The leg aside, we'll have to build the arm from scratch."

"Can you have it done in a week?" Kaela nodded at Ed's eager question. They needed to get the information on the Stone as soon as possible. Besides the anxiousness and excitement to get their hands on that knowledge, Kaela felt something wasn't quite right. The sneaky and secretive way Marcoh had acted was all too suspicious.

But Pinako only smiled. "Give us some credit." She blew some smoke from her pipe. "Three days." In moments, they had taken off the old leg and replaced it with one even more unbalanced than the old one. "Make do with this spare, for now."

"Mm-hmm," Ed grunted, nearly tripping as he stood up. "Sure is hard to walk on a leg I'm not used to."

"We'll be finished before you're used to it," Pinako replied.

"Want to borrow my crutches?" Kaela offered, jerking her head at the wooden fixtures setting against the wall next to her.

"You need them too, though," Winry said from where she was hunched over analyzing Ed's leg.

"Not really. If I get a few good hours in tonight, I'll be fine to walk by tomorrow morning."

"It's fine," Ed said with a shrug. "I'll only have this leg for a few days, anyway."

"That being said," Winry began, straightening her back with a perplexed look on her face. "Between machining, assembly, connecting, and finishing, I'll be pulling nothing but all-nighters."

"Sorry to ask so much of you." The boy glanced over with a guilty frown.

But Winry spun around, an enthusiastic grin parting her lips. "You want to get to Central as soon as possible, right? That's why I'll overwork myself for you! But in return, you're going to pay a bundle in rush order fees!"

Kaela didn't miss the red tint that colored Ed's cheeks.

* * *

The rest of the day was spent in comparative leisure in reference to the past few years of Kaela's life. Ed and Al spent their time outside, while Pinako and Armstrong prepared dinner. Winry had already gone upstairs to her workshop to begin the process of recreating Ed's broken limb. In turn, Kaela used her time to heal her leg.

It was boring work, although it called for complete focus. She had to concentrate on every muscle, every tissue that needed to be sewn together. But it didn't help Kaela had already been staring at that green light for a while now, including several hours the night before. It also was physically and mentally exhausting. Kaela found it only took her twenty minutes to start sweating in comparison to the one hour it normally took. She was spent, and she knew it, but she couldn't be hobbling around for the rest of the week. The three of them had work to do, and the least she could do was walk around like a normal person.

Close to around suppertime, Armstrong burst into the living room where Kaela was tending to her leg, tears rolling surprisingly easily down his face. Startled, the glow evaporated from her hands and leg as Armstrong fell to his knees and embraced her tightly.

"Oh, Miss Michaela Rockbell!" He sobbed as she tapped his arm like she had seen those who were losing in a wrestling match do. Somehow, he was sparkling. Again. "Your story, such a sad and touching tale! On par with the Elric brothers'! You, who has lost all the adults in your life, are left with only your adopted sister and grandmother, along with your childhood friends! Oh, how sorrowful! Let me give you this hug in hopes it will lift your spirits!"

Kaela nearly turned purple by the time Armstrong let go. She took a few deep breaths before asking, "What … brought this on … Major?"

"Miss Pinako has told me yours and the Elric's story. I could not hold back from empathizing with the three of you."

Kaela snorted. "My story isn't sad, or even worth sympathizing with. I'm happy-happier than I was before-simply traveling with my best friends. I'm making new friends and growing older each day. I'm alive. That's all I need." She smiled. "You should save your sympathy for a real tragedy, Major. Save it for a story like those silly brothers'. They aren't living the way they want to."

Armstrong paused for a moment before clasping his hands together as if praying and looked on at a shocked Kaela with starry eyes. "How inspiring, Michaela Rockbell! I shall keep your words in my mind for a long time with the Armstrong family's well-known long-term memory!"

Kaela giggled and rolled her eyes. "All right, Major, I need to get back to work if you want me to be able to walk tomorrow."

"My apologies."

"It's fine. While you're here, can I ask when dinner will be ready?"

"Supper should be done in thirty minutes!" Pinako called from the kitchen.

Twenty minutes later, Ed opened the door, calling out his presence. However, the major had been waiting for him with tears, sparkles, and all.

"Edward Elric!" Armstrong grabbed Ed and enveloped him in his arms, unknowingly placing the boy in a choke hold. "Such immaculate love, to try to bring your mother back to life! Such tremendous love, to be willing to give up your own life to transmute your brother's soul! Such dreadful determination, to burn down the home that held so many memories for you, to cut off any retreat! Let me at least offer this embrace!" … And he had thrown his shirt off for some reason.

Ed escaped and ran to the opposite side of the room. "Stay back! Too stuffy! Stop!"

Once Armstrong redressed himself and left a panting Ed alone, they all sat down to eat. Kaela found it quite nostalgic of the first few years she had arrived here. Even when Trisha was alive, the boys often came down for supper. Pinako's hearty dishes really brought people together.

It only took Kaela another hour or so to finish the healing process to the point where she wanted it. By that time, she figured she would probably sleep all the hard work off and test out walking in the morning.

Instead, she not only slept through the night but through the rest of the next day, too. Dusk's red fingers reached into the room and gripped the walls and floor, finding the perfect spot to rest on Kaela's eyes. This finally woke her up. When she opened her eyes, Kaela found herself in her old bed, tucked in as she had as a child. She guessed it to be Armstrong's work. She left the room, her stomach crying out for food. Kaela just hoped that she hadn't missed dinner.

"Enough!" Down the hall, Ed was thrown from Winry's room, and the door slammed shut behind him. Kaela snickered as she approached him.

"Did you get kicked out?" She asked, helping him up off the ground. He puffed slightly, but she took that as a yes. "Patience is a virtue, Ed."

"What about you?" He gestured at her. "You slept all day, you sleep monster."

"I'm pretty sure you meant 'Sleeping Beauty'."

"If I had meant that, I would have said it."

"Careful, or your leg might be knocked out from under you."

Ed shrugged with a snort. "Whatever. I was going to wake you up anyway. It's around dinner time."

"Really? Good." Kaela grinned excitedly, then looked down the stairs. She wasn't really looking forward to trying out stairs again, even if she could walk without a limp.

"So, how are your legs?" Ed asked, instantly knowing what was on her mind after following her gaze. "I know you're worn out from using so much alchemy. Something must have come out of it."

She nodded. "I can walk perfectly fine now, but I'm not ready for running or anything more physically demanding."

"Do you need help down the stairs?"

"Excuse me?" Kaela's eyebrows shot up. "Is Edward Elric offering me assistance? I never thought I'd live to see the day!" She swooned with a snarky grin.

"Tch." Ed placed his hand on his hip and glanced away, refusing to meet her eyes. "If you don't want my help, then just say it."

"I'm kidding, Ed. I think I'll be okay, but I really do appreciate the thought." Kaela smiled genuinely. "Thank you."

For a moment, the sunlight peeked through the window just before it ducked under the horizon. The red and orange tendrils of light came to play again, stroking Ed's hair and making it shimmer.

But the gold in Ed's eyes drew Kaela's attention. Ed had always had beautifully colored eyes; Kaela had only ever seen the same color in Al's eyes and in the pictures of their father pinned in the entryway of the Rockbell home. However, in the sunlight, a beauty in its own league struck something in her chest. It gave him a royal and commanding demeanor that rarely ever showed itself, and, yet, the soft depths of his pupils that could go on forever counteracted the surface appearance.

Something was wrong with her. Her stomach began to feel strange, as though electricity had somehow shot through her abdomen and tickled the linings of tissue. Kaela's chest tightened and her throat constricted. Was she sick? Something told her that wasn't the case, but she hadn't ever experienced this feeling, so Kaela couldn't exactly identify what exactly was going on. She glanced away with a sudden and an odd feeling of embarrassment, hoping Ed would mistake the red coloring on her face with the sun's last kiss.

This time, she missed Ed's tinted cheeks while his gaze never left her.

"Ah, okay," Ed coughed out, finally averting his eyes. "I'll be downstairs. Call me if you still need help."

"Shouldn't it be the other way around?" The tension left as he kicked out his metal leg at her. "I'll be down in a few minutes." Ed waved her off as he made his way down the stairs, slowly shifting his weight on the metal leg with each step.

Kaela watched him for a moment, still confused about what had just transpired, before turning and knocking on the door behind her. "Winry?" She called.

"Come in, Kaela."

Kaela opened the door to see Winry putting down a ruler with one hand and taking off her goggles with another. She smiled when she saw her sister, though exhaustion had colored under her eyes a light shade of purple. "Hey," Kaela said, shutting the door behind her. "How's it coming."

Winry sighed. "I think it will be finished on time, but if Ed keeps coming in here and hovering over me …"

"Don't blame him too much. He's just ready to get back out on the road."

"Right, I know." Winry stretched her arms and slumped back in her chair, blue irises fixating themselves on the metalwork on her table. "It's just a little irritating. And it gets hard to concentrate when he does that sort of thing."

"Oh, don't even get me started." Kaela groaned. "It gets worse when you live with him. Every time he allows me to finally wash our clothes when we're out on the road, he sits about two centimeters away from me and makes random jeers every ten minutes while I try to scrub out the dirt."

Their laughter filled the room. Winry wiped her eye with the crease of her elbow and said, "That is so much like him!"

"Well," Kaela chuckled out once she had settled down a little. "I better let you get back to it. You want me to bring up some supper?"

"Yeah, just bring it up after you're done eating. Chances are I won't be hungry until then."

"Alright."

"Oh, and Kaela?" Winry called just as Kaela left through the door. Her sister paused. "I'm glad you're home, but … try to keep out of trouble from now on, okay? It's not just the boys. Granny and I worry about you, too."

Kaela scanned Winry's face. It was more often that the brothers came back in pieces and Kaela perfectly intact because she knew how to handle herself at a distance from the enemy. This was the first time Kaela had come home with more than a couple scratches. Albeit she was observant, she hadn't noticed Winry's worried glances directed at her or Pinako's subtle way of pushing what was usually Kaela's chores onto Armstrong or Ed. Now, Winry's blue eyes, so different from Kaela's muted grays, bored into her with affection and fondness that Kaela found she had yearned for in the past year or so.

"Okay," Kaela answered slowly. "I'll do my best."

* * *

"They said it would take three days to finish," Al was saying as Ed and Den lay in the grass the next morning, "so just sit still and wait."

"If you keep trying to rush Winry, it's only going to be that much longer," Kaela added. She rubbed Den's belly, who wiggled his legs in response.

"Yeah, I know." Ed sounded pretty defeated, but his body language was at the level of a child throwing a tantrum. "But when I think about how the secret to the Philosopher's Stone is in Central, I just can't settle down!" He kicked his legs out squirmed on the grass to prove his point.

Den barked and the three looked over to see Winry running from the house, holding a familiar, silver limb. "Sorry for the wait! It's done!"

Moments later, Ed sat on the couch while Armstrong and Kaela looked on, a pleased smirk on the latter's face. The Fullmetal Alchemist grit his teeth, refusing to look at neither Pinako nor Winry who were each holding a metal limb at each port.

"Ready?" Pinako asked.

"Y-yeah!" Ed said in pseudo eagerness. He closed his eyes, sweat beading on the sides of his face.

"One…"

"What's wrong?" Armstrong whispered to Kaela.

"Two…"

"According to Ed, this process is pretty painful. I'm not sure if it really is, or if he's just a wimp, though," Kaela replied, not taking her eyes off of the hilarity that was an uncomfortable Edward Elric.

"Three!"

Ed grunted and made a high pitch noise, but he settled down fairly quickly. "I hate that moment when the nerves connect, every time."

"You did better this time around," Kaela said, approval deemed with an upward thumb.

Ed ignored her. "But once we get a Philosopher's Stone, I can kiss that pain goodbye!"

"Too bad," Pinako said as she tightened a few bolts around his leg to keep it in place. "I hate to lose our biggest source of income." Ed made a guttural noise as she jerked the wrench toward her.

"Right," Winry said casually. "You don't have to overexert yourselves to get back to normal." Ed shrieked again as she made a similar movement. "Besides, isn't it nice? The smell of oil, the hum of the bearings … the rugged yet beautiful form whose design is based on anatomical engineering … Ah! How wonderful you are, automail!"

"Crazy gearhead," Ed mumbled.

"Shut up, alchemy freak," Winry shot back.

"Alright, we're done," Pinako said. Ed gave himself a once-over before stretching out his new limbs, doing certain movements Kaela was sure she couldn't even attempt without getting hurt, what with her flexibility. Oh, well. Flexibility wasn't a necessity from her standpoint. She could point a gun just fine without it.

"So, how is it?"

"Yeah, feels good." Ed made a few arm circles and grinned at the old woman.

"This time, I increased the percentage of chrome to try to make it less prone to rusting," Winry informed. "The tradeoff is that its strength isn't as great, so don't try anything crazy with- Hey, listen to me!"

Ed had already taken off running. "Al, sorry to keep you waiting!"

Armstrong and Kaela followed him out back. Al sat there, his body parts scattered around on a blanket. "You can fix him right away?" Armstrong asked.

"Yup. You kind of have to know the trick to it, though. This seal on the inside of his back is the medium between Al's soul and the armor, so I have to be sure not to ruin it," Ed said, clapping his hands and beginning the process to fixing his brother.

"Ah! That's why Miss Michaela hasn't done it in the meantime!"

"Yeah," Kaela answered, watching Al's body reform. "I know his secret, but I don't know the exact details of fixing him, or where I am and am not allowed to touch. Ed doesn't really let me do it, anyway."

"That, and you suck at any type of alchemy that doesn't involve healing," Ed snorted. "All right, good as new! Wanna go at it now?"

"Yeah," Al said. Within moments, the two were punching at each other, dodging, blocking. Armstrong looked bewildered, but Kaela stared up at the sky.

"It's going to be hectic from here on out, huh?" She asked no one in particular. Armstrong glanced down at her.

"What do you mean?"

"It's quiet out here in the country. But in the city, it's bustling, lively, and dangerous." Kaela sighed, watching the clouds pass. "Something could go wrong, or we could get attacked again. Most likely both, with our luck. I just hope that we find the Philosopher's Stone, and quickly."

Armstrong hesitated before he spoke, carefully choosing his words. "I'm sure that your future will turn out fine. But life is full of hills and bumps, and it may not go the way you always want it to. It's just unfortunate that you children have experienced so many mountains at such a young age."

"Right."

* * *

Early the next morning, just before the sun blessed the earth, the four of them were standing at the front of the porch, properly dressed and suitcases in hand. Pinako had woken up to see them off.

"Thanks for everything, Granny," Ed said.

"Sure," Pinako grunted.

Al rose from petting Den. "Huh? Where's Winry?"

"She has been working overnight for several days in a row," the old woman replied. "Want me to wake her up?"

"That's okay, that's okay." Ed waved her off. "She would just nag me about making sure to do maintenance and whatever. Well!" He turned to leave, Armstrong and Al close on his heels, and Kaela bringing up the rear with a yawn.

"Listen, kids," Pinako called. The four turned around, confused. "Come on back once in a while and have dinner with us."

"Mm!"

"Heh, you want us to come all this way into the mountains just for dinner?" Ed snarked. Pinako smiled through the pipe between her teeth.

"Ed, Al, Kaela …" Winry appeared on the balcony, messy-haired and bleary-eyed, waving a hand slowly. "Have a safe trip."

Ed turned around scratching his head, before deciding to wave as he left. "Yeah!"

Kaela waved dramatically to her sister, a fond smile appearing through her obvious tired features. "See you soon, Winry! Bye-bye!"

Once they were a proper distance away, Kaela found herself walking next to Ed. Smirking slyly, she elbowed him in the ribs.

"Hey!" he cried, rubbing his side while glaring at her. "What was that for?"

"If you wanted to see Winry before you left, you should have just said so," Kaela said cooly, not looking at the boy next to her. Not wanting to look at the boy next to her.

"I … I didn't! I mean, it was fine, but-"

"My sister is cute, hmm?" The metallic giggle behind her signaled that Ed was visibly floundering. But Kaela didn't want to look, because even though her smile was still plastered on her lips, there was something ugly curling up in her chest at the thought of his embarrassed face when he thought about someone else.

* * *

 **Congradulations! You made it to the end of the chapter! If you liked this chapter, please let me know! I'll definitely make sure to respond to your review or PM by the time the next one is released!**

 **Thanks again for reading!**


	6. Hidden Truths

**Happy 2019, everyone! And Merry Christmas! AND Happy Hannukah! I'm back after a lovely break. I got myself a new laptop (meaning more updates?), and physical therapy will be ending soon, so that means I'll be back to running around like I have a normal leg again! On a more negative note... School is starting. And I also have P.E. this semester. And we start poetry this semester in AP English, which, I gotta hand it to you, I have a hard time thinking deeply and philosophically when the words are rhyming. It makes me want to start rapping them (Let me tell you, my rapping skills are horrible. Like, negative levels).**

 **Enough about me! Here's a gift to you all! Please don't kill me for updating so late, I was sleeping. A lot. So it is my fault. BUT don't kill me anyway, I bruise easily.**

 **Enjoy the chapter! Kaela is going start showing off her charisma. Which is pretty kickass, considering I have NO concept of a filter in real life, so seeing people being able to hide their true thoughts and maneuver their way around other people is cool.**

* * *

Hidden Truths

* * *

When the group finally arrived at the building, Ed screamed. The building was destroyed, with the upper levels of the library appearing to be torn right off and the inside charred black. Several cracks mutilated the stone walls, and the window frames no longer had glass panels inside them, most likely due to heat pressure.

"Doctor Marcoh's research materials!" Ed screeched.

"Oh, stop that," Kaela said, whacking him on the back of the head. "We should go in and investigate instead of wallowing around." She strode forward without any hesitation. Ed pouted and trailed after her.

"But it's practically dust and ashes in there!" He whined.

"Nii-san, Kaela's right," Al said, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder. "There might still be some clues. Maybe there was a basement! Or a secret room full of restricted research, which is why no one has brought up the doctor's notes!"

"That could be true," Kaela said in front of them, climbing the steps and opening the practically unhinged door. "But that's not all there is to look for." She stopped short past the entrance, allowing Ed and Al to continue forward and search the immediate area. Armstrong stood to watch nearby. "Major Armstrong."

"Yes?" The large man gazed down, while the girl barely taller than Edward Elric made her way to him. "What do you need, Miss Rockbell?"

"What do you think happened here?"

"The obvious choice a gas leak, or a heat explosion from an unchecked fire, but you seem to think that's not the case, hmm?"

"Major Armstrong!" An unknown voice called from outside. Ed rose from his crouched position to turn and see two Central military officers holding a salute. One was a man of average stature with chin length hair of a straw hue. The other officer was a woman, slightly shorter than her companion, a mole dotting her pale cheek just under her left eye.

Armstrong's face turned into that of recognition. "Of, if it isn't Second Lieutenant Ross and Sergeant Brosh. What's the matter?"

"You've been ordered to report to the Command Center," said the woman.

The man spoke next. "We will be taking over for you in escorting Edward Elric."

"Hmm, very well," said their superior officer, nodding his acknowledgment.

"What's this?" Ed groaned. "Here I think I can get away from the stuffy old guy, and now we've got another escort?"

After searching around (though not very thoroughly as it was fairly apparent everything had been burned in the fire, along with any evidence to the perpetrator), the three parted ways with Major Armstrong and entered a car with the two new escorts.

"Is there any way that someone could have copied or kept any of the books from the National Central Library before the accident?" Ed asked once they were moving.

Ross nodded. "As far as the library incident, there is someone who was well acquainted with the materials at the first branch. Although, she was no longer working there."

Ed crossed his arms, looking out the window with a dubious expression. "Doesn't sound very hopeful."

Across the aisle, Kaela kicked him from her seat next to Second Lieutenant Ross. They each gave each other a look before she rolled her eyes and looked out the window.

"Do you need something?" Al asked out of the blue to the man across from him, whom Kaela recalled was Sergeant Brosh. Brosh jumped.

"Ah, well," he began, working up a slight sweat. "Forgive me for asking, but why do you wear the suit of armor?"

The brothers flashed each other a very obvious worried look.

"It's just what he does!" "It's just what I do!" They said at the same time.

The two officers turned around in their seat and hid their mouths from the boys. Kaela was close enough to hear their whispered conversation. Brosh hissed, "What he does? Lieutenant, what is it that he does?"

"Who are these boys?" Ross asked back.

"Ah, Al, isn't the view here pretty?" Ed said quite loudly. An uncomfortable sweat gave away his discomposure.

"It sure is, Nii-san!"

Kaela snorted. The lengths that those two went to cover up Al's missing body were almost always of ill-effect. They had thought out a long-winded backstory for the armor, but when the moment came, they flubbed it up; although Kaela could have always helped them out, the hilarity that came afterward kept her from doing so.

They arrived in one of the lower-class residential areas in a matter of twenty minutes of uncomfortable silence. The apartment building was nice enough, but there were areas along the eggshell-colored walls that were chipped or abrased.

When they arrived at a specific apartment, Kaela knocked twice. No answer. She glanced back at the military officers.

"The front desk said she hadn't left her apartment yet. She should still be here," Ross said with a worried frown. Ed shrugged Kaela out of the way and turned the knob. It opened.

"What if this becomes a murder mystery, Al?" Kaela whispered to her friend, an excited grin forming on her lips. Al glanced down at her, horrified.

"What?! How could you say that in this situation?" He uttered in response.

"I don't know, but don't you think it would be exciting?"

"I'm not sure exciting is the right word for that …"

"W-what's with this mountain of books?" Ed said upon opening the door. Inside the apartment was stacks upon stacks of books. It was so dark in there that one couldn't see past the first few piles, but Kaela assumed there were far more.

It ended up being that they had to shimmy along the bookshelves. The officers went first ("just in case" they said) followed by Kaela, Ed, and finally Al.

"Is there really someone living here?" Brosh complained as he moved along the rows and rows of books.

"Miss Sheska? Are you here? Miss Sheska?" At least Ross was doing her duty instead of whining.

Kaela read the titles of the books as she went by. There were cookbooks, philosophy books, how to's, and many other varieties among them. "What type of hoarding would this be called? Book mongering?"

"Eh?" Al stopped at one of the branching paths. Ed and Kaela turned around and followed where the younger Elric was pointing. "Nii-san, Kaela, there's someone…" Amongst a toppled pile of heavy-looking books, a pale hand reached up with glasses hanging by a finger. "There's someone buried under there!"

The five frantically began digging through the piles of books, indiscriminately throwing them behind. A few minutes later, the worn-out group sat face-to-face with a bookish girl of around twenty with comfy clothing and large, square glasses. Panicked, she bowed over and over with the words "I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!" repeated like a mantra. "I accidentally knocked over a mountain of books. I thought I was going to die under there! Thank you very much!"

Ed removed a book that had been thrown onto his head (he suspected Kaela) and set it down. "Are you Sheska?"

"Yes."

"The one from the first branch?"

She flinched, causing Ed and Ross to recoil from the shock. However, her words did not reflect her actions. "The first branch. Oh, how sweet the sound of it!"

Kaela noticed the way sparkles formed around Sheska's face as she spoke of the library and frowned. "Isn't this a little too familiar?"

"I've always loved books ever since I was born," Sheska continued, not hearing Kaela over her own monologue. "So when I wound up securing a job there, it felt like I had gone to heaven." Suddenly the mood changed to a darker tone. "But I forgot that I was at work, and all I ever did was read books, so I got fired. I have to work because I want to move my sickly mother to a better hospital, but …I really am a klutz at everything, except for reading books, so no matter where I go I can't get a job. Yes, I'm a good-for-nothing person! I'm the scum of society!-"

"I swear, I've seen this sort of dramatic person before," Kaela muttered to herself.

"Um." Ed rose his hand hesitantly. "There's something we'd like to ask you."

"Yes?" And then, the overwhelmingly depressing tone vanished into curiosity.

"Do you remember seeing any research notes belonging to someone named Tim Marcoh?"

Sheska repeated the name a couple times before reaching an epiphany. She clapped her hands together with a smile. "Ah! Yes, I remember."

"Really?!"

"They were handwritten, and, moreover, they had been shoved into a bookcase in the wrong section, so I remember them well."

Ed and Al leaned forward in excitement. Even Kaela found herself kneeling down to be on floor level with Sheska, wanting to know more. "So they really were there!" Ed exclaimed, then dropped his head. "Which means, sure enough, they've been burned up."

"Did you want to read those research notes?" Sheska asked.

"Yeah, but they've been burned up." Ed trudged away through the piles of books stacked to the ceiling. Al and Kaela quickly rose, with Al following close behind his brother.

"Sorry we took up your time," Kaela said in place of the boys. "Thank you for the information."

"I remember everything that was in them," Sheska said matter-of-factly. A pause. Ed and Al scurried up behind Kaela and leaned into Sheska's face with an "eh?" "Well, I mean, I remember the content of any book I read. It will take some time, but do you want me to duplicate them for you?"

Ed and Al began doing a happy jig in the small area that had been clear of books. Al began doing a strange dance with fans that had come from seemingly nowhere with a symbol Kaela had never seen before on them. Ed took Sheska's hands and cried, "Thank you, bookworm!"

A few days later, the trio along with Ed's escorts arrived back to Sheska's apartment at her call. Some mounds of sorted paper laid on the table and Sheska presented them with pride "Here is a reproduction of Tim Marcoh's research notes. Sorry, there was quite a large amount of it, so it took five whole days."

"There sure are some amazing people in this world, huh, Nii-san?" Al said in awe as Ed picked up one of the packets.

"This is really Doctor Marcoh's?" Ed asked. For some reason, Kaela thought he sounded a little doubtful. She looked over his shoulder to read what he had grabbed.

"Yes, no doubt about it," Sheska answered confidently. "1,000 Types of Menus for Today, by Tim Marcoh." Everyone's faces began to fall. Ross grabbed one of the packets herself and began to read for herself.

"'Add a dash of water to one tablespoon of sugar…' This really is a thousand daily recipes." She flipped through the pages.

"Hey, now," Brosh said, pointing at his own stack of paper. "What part of this did you think were important documents?!"

Sheska's face fell. "Don't ask me. I just copied it down the way I remember it."

"Apparently, this was all just a big wild goose chase." Brosh looked away from the girl as her shoulders slumped even further.

"That's enough, Sergeant Brosh," Kaela said, scanning her own papers with analytical eyes. Brosh opened his mouth to retaliate but hesitated when he noticed her concentrated eyes.

"You're absolutely sure this is what Doctor Marcoh wrote, word-for-word, right?" Ed asked.

Sheska looked shocked only for a moment. "Yes, absolutely sure."

"You are incredible!" Ed said, an arrogant grin sneaking onto his face. "Thanks." He picked up a pile of packets "All right! Let's take these back to the central library!" Al and Kaela followed suit without a second thought.

"What?" Ross didn't move.

"They'll have a collection of related books there." Al placed a stack in Brosh's arms and picked up another stack himself. Ed made a grunt of approval.

"Whoops, your fee, your fee …" Ed turned around and squished past Kaela, Al, and Brosh. "I'll meet you guys outside." The three of them waited outside the apartment until Ed stood in the doorframe. "Thank you for everything, Sheska. Bye!"

A couple of yells of disbelief could be heard as they walked away from the room. Kaela rose a brow as she looked over at the boy walking beside her with an anxious grin on his face. "Exactly how much did you give them?"

"Oh, a good amount. She helped us out a lot, so I thought it would be fine to give her that much," he said.

"Let's hope your generosity doesn't cause us to go broke."

* * *

Later, at the central library, the four of them set down their stack of paper on a large table in one of the private rooms. Brosh straightened up, still looking at the others in disbelief. "Are these cookbooks really research notes about alchemy?"

Ed sat down and began flipping through a packet. Without looking at Brosh, he replied, "Alchemy can be a dangerous art if misused. To prevent that, alchemic research is encrypted." He turned the packet so that the sergeant could see it and gave it a light whack. "It may look like an ordinary cookbook to the average person, but the actual content can only be understood by whoever wrote it. These are advanced alchemic notes."

"If only the writer can understand them, how are you going to decipher them?"

"With knowledge and insight. The rest is intensive, arduous work."

"Wow, that's mind-boggling." Brosh scratched his head in genuine awe and respect.

Ed's eyes widened a fraction. "Al! There's a section on squab in here!"

Al turned around carrying several books. "Pigeons? You don't suppose that means …"

"Yeah. It might refer to the Green Lion, the philosopher's month." He brought the papers closer to his face and narrowed his eyes. "Did you bring over Flamel's Codex or Lambspring's Concerning the Philosopher's Stone?"

While the two jabbered back and forth, Kaela pulled on Brosh's sleeve. "Come on. Once they get like this, there's no interrupting them." The two left the room. "Were you surprised?" Kaela asked suddenly.

"W-what?"

"About Ed, I mean. That he knew about cracking written codes and all that?" She grinned. If there was one thing she could be proud of her friend for, it would be this. This, and his amazingly unending stubbornness.

"I guess you could say I was," Brosh nodded thoughtfully. "He's just so young. You all are."

"Actually, Ed's the smartest person in our group. He knows far more about alchemy than both Al or I combined. He may not look like it, but that shorty is an alchemic genius."

"Crazy…"

"He's probably smarter than you."

"Really… Wait, what?" Brosh scowled as Kaela chuckled.

"Anyway, Sergeant Brosh," she said, taking on an expression of severity. "I have my own duties to complete."

"You're not going to help them decipher the code?"

"I would be no help. They will find the answer faster without me there than if I were assisting their progress." She motioned for him to follow her further down the hallway. "My goal is that while they're studying those recipe packets, which will take them a while, I'm going to find out what happened at the library."

"What? I heard it was simply arson and that they caught the person who did it." They stopped in front of another double-doored room. Kaela nodded at his words, turning to meet his eyes.

"That's what they're telling you, but it's not the whole truth. Hierarchies such as the military rely on twisted versions of the truth and lies to reach the grunts and lower leveled officers. You're just being duped right now." Kaela stood up on her tip-toes, reached up, and patted his head. "Poor Sergeant Brosh. It's alright, though. This misinformation is what is going to keep you safe."

Brosh looked a little blank and confused, but when he heard the last sentence, he perked up a little. "What do you mean, keep me safe?"

"The less you know, the less likely you will be drawn into this mess of a place. Sure, the military is great for the protection of the citizens, but even in such a place, there is bound to be secrets that would kill you if you knew about them."

"What about you?" Brosh pointed at the petite girl. It was hard to believe someone so small and weak looking could be one of the sharpest snipers in the military, only second to Riza Hawkeye. "What military secrets do you know?"

"Now, now, Brosh! What did I just say? You're more likely to stay alive if you don't know." She smiled again, but it was a little eerie this time. Brosh shuddered. These kids were leagues ahead of him and Ross. But Kaela chuckled. "Kidding, kidding. I don't know anything worthy of that. But what I do know is this: your superior officers, even Major Armstrong, know a lot more than they're willing to tell you."

"...uh…"

The girl turned on her heel with an innocent grin. "See you later, Brosh! I'm off to see Major Lieutenant Hughes!"

Brosh stared after her. "Boy, these kids sure are something else…"

* * *

Kaela rode a trolley to Central Headquarters. It was noisy, yet the mundane noise of calm voices was quieter than the firing of her pistols and clanking of Al's armor and Ed's automail. Maybe, when they get Al's body and Ed's limbs back, they can live quietly out in the country. Maybe they can live in the Rockbell home again and have one big happy family.

Kaela watched a young woman sitting across from her lift a reaching toddler to her lap, smiling down at his pudgy face. A handsome man sat next to her, making faces at the child and in return creating giggles and snorts the kid's mouth. The man wrapped his arms around his wife's shoulders, a content sigh escaping each of them.

It was something Kaela never experienced: parents. The Rockbells treated her like their own child, but there was still a wall between her and them, even after their untimely deaths. If she had only spent a few more days, a few more hours, a few more minutes, would that wall have disappeared?

She watched them from below her lashes until they got up to leave. The rest of the ride was short and unremarkable. As soon as she stepped off the trolley, it whisked away, blowing her dark hair out of place.

Guards eyeballed Kaela as she confidently strode up to the stairs, but they averted their gazes when she pulled out the official military badge Riza Hawkeye had issued to her after Ed became a state alchemist. Central Command was built above the rest of the city as a vantage point; the only entrance was the stairs leading up to a level higher than most buildings in Central City. Tall walls surrounded the military base, making it seem even more impossibly high in stature. The yard inside those walls was large and long with the headquarters placed on the far side of the space, making it perfect for a battlefront.

In all, Central Command was made for war.

As she walked into the building, Kaela couldn't help but stare at the Amestris flag, a simple green cloth with a white wyrm embroidered in the middle, hanging above the awning. How silly. The military may seem like a hivemind with the only goal to be to serve and protect the people of Amestris, but in reality, many of the government and military officials working this branch served only one person: themselves. But what was so wrong about that? The only reason Ed joined to the military was to create an easier path to find the Philosopher's Stone. That didn't mean he wouldn't serve the people when called for.

"I'm looking for Major Lieutenant Maes Hughes," Kaela told the receptionist inside the entrance hall. The lady looked up snootily over her glasses, raising a brow.

"Yes, do you have an appointment?"

"No, but-"

"Then I'm sorry, but you can't see the Major Lieutenant right now. He's very busy with work. Now, why don't you head on back to school."

Kaela sighed and pulled her badge back out, sliding it onto the receptionist's desk. She didn't really want her week to become any more annoying. It was bad enough that the library burned down and they had to wait until today for the copies of Doctor Marcoh's research materials, only to have to decide them which could take months. She didn't need some haughty secretary denying her of what should be easily granted to Kaela. The woman squinted at it, gasped, and stood up to bow. "I am so sorry! I didn't realize you were the attendant for the Fullmetal Alchemist. Do you need someone to escort you to the major lieutenant's office?"

The girl waved off the receptionist, instead walking past the stunned young woman toward the left wing. "Just let him know I'm coming."

A few minutes later, Kaela opened a door to a smaller office. At the far end, Maes Hughes looked up from shuffling the papers on his desk, taking a moment to let recognition to sink in before smiling widely.

"Kael Rockbell! Nice of you to stop by Central. I thought I told you guys to let me know in advance when you were coming." He motioned with a gloved hand for her to take a seat. She did so quietly.

"Yes, well." Kaela shifted casually in the chair. "It was somewhat of a last minute decision, and there isn't really a good way to contact anyone from Resembool. Besides, we've only arrived just this morning."

"I see. I'm going to guess that you didn't come here only to make small talk with me, Kaela." Hughes began to file a few manila folders away in the built-in cabinet of his desk. She smiled.

"How did you know?"

"You don't seem the type to leave your companions' sides without a good reason," he said simply, his glasses glinting occasionally as he shuffled through the cabinet before closing it again. "But that's fine. What is it you need?"

"Information."

" … On?"

"On the fire at the national library the other day," Kaela said. For some reason, she felt as though Hughes already knew why she was here, despite her being discreet to all except Major Armstrong and Sergeant Brosh. But it was the chain of command. There were no secrets that weren't known further up the ladder.

"Ah. I'm told that they've caught the arsonist and are keeping them in custody."

"... Is that what you're being told? Or what you're being told to say?" Kaela folded her arms and grinned good-naturedly, although she would rather be searching through that desk of his rather than play the charismatic diplomat.

Hughes chuckled after a moment, nodding to himself. "He was right about you being sharp."

This time, Kaela frowned. "Who is 'he'?"

"Our mutual friend and benefactor, Roy Mustang."

"Oh." Kaela cringed a little bit. Even though the whole flirting bit that Mustang did was only to rile Edward up, she still felt pretty gross about it. Maybe she would ask Riza to get him to stop.

"Anyway, I'm willing to give up that information." Kaela rose her eyebrow. "Free of charge."

"You can't be serious." Kaela crossed her legs, pondering over whether to trust this man. He had seemed fairly comfortable to be around: affable, caring, responsible. But this conversation has begun to tint Maes Hughes in a more calculating color. "What's the catch? I came here believing I'd have to do some dirty work."

He snorted in response. " I know it's hard to believe, Kaela, but not every officer in the military has an agenda against you and the Elrics. In fact, I want to help you guys."

"You don't expect me to think this is out of the goodness of your heart, do you?"

"Not really. But, if I'm being honest with you, an ulterior motive is quite a cliche and boring. It's more interesting if I just want to help out for the fun of it."

"And … I'm going to guess that's what you want me to believe."

"For now, at least. Now, you want to know about the incident, hmm?" Confirming Kaela's earlier impression, Hughes opened the one remaining folder on his desk to reveal a couple of reports on the case, including several photos of the fire. "You're right. The culprit got away, but I suspect the higher-ups don't want the news spreading that they lost a petty arsonist." Hughes pushed his glasses higher up onto the bridge of his nose as he read through the lines of script. "Witnesses say that the perp was a beautiful woman with a strange brand on her chest. She left a device that was most likely a bomb in the central study and left the building just before it exploded."

Kaela waited for more information, but it seemed that was all there was in the files (or it was all that Hughes was willing to tell her). She sighed. "Is that all?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Hughes frowned, which was a little uncharacteristic of him. "There isn't much we can tell about the situation. No motive, no accurate description of the culprit, and a high body count. Not a good combination. I'm sorry that I can't do much more."

"No, I actually learned a lot." Kaela stood up, her silver eyes flickering to Hughes's dark pupils before bowing her head quickly. "Thank you for the intel, Major Lieutenant Hughes. And your time, too."

"It wasn't a problem." He paused for a moment, grinning slightly. "Actually, I do have a favor to ask, now that I've helped you out."

Oh, no. Kaela just knew it would come to this. "Sure. What is it?"

"Grab those Elrics and stop by my house for dinner sometime." Hughes handed her a card with an address written on it. "My absolutely gorgeous wife makes a mean casserole."

Kaela hesitated before laughing out loud. Maybe she was wrong, and Maes Hughes wasn't as cunning as she had thought for those fleeting moments. She agreed to his request and waved to him before letting herself out of the room.

Once out in the hallway and left isolated to her thoughts, her mind became dark with suspicion. One thing was for sure with this new information. Someone knew about their plan to find Marcoh's notes, and they were willing to kill innocents to keep the Elrics' from their goal.

* * *

A few days later, Kaela sat at the library table facing the shelves, sipping some tea while reading through some of Marcoh's materials, while the boys rested their heads dejectedly on piles of useless notes. It would have been comical if Kaela didn't know first hand what they were going through.

"Why is this code so damn hard to figure out?" Ed mumbled. He had been running on no sleep, despite the behest of both Kaela and Al.

"Nii-san," Al said with one of the helm spikes piercing his papers and, consequently, the table. "Maybe we ought to ask Doctor Marcoh about this directly."

"No!" Ed jerked up. "If we ask him, we admit defeat!"

"Can you let go of your pride this one time? This is the recipe for the Philosopher's Stone we're talking about, here." Kaela narrowed her eyes at him over her teacup. In return, she received a smack on the table and glaring golden eyes.

"You wouldn't understand, Kaela," Ed began. "This my pride as a man. If I let that go, what would I be?"

"A nicer person."

"Al and I, we are men, and as such, we must finish things like men. There is no need to ask for help."

"That's why we get lost all the damn time. You're just too stubborn to ask for directions." Kaela rolled her eyes, but Ed was determined to ignore her interjections.

"You're different, Kaela. You need help because you're a girl."

"Oh, is that how it is?" Kaela was beginning to get angry. Here she was, making sure that they don't get hurt on their quest to get their bodies back, and Kaela was the one that needed help? "I'm just some damsel in distress that needs your help all the time?"

"That's right!"

"I'm sure he didn't mean it like that, Kaela!" Al was beginning to see that this was a little more than simple banter. He stood up and waved his arms in between the two, who were now glaring at each other. "We're all just tired and frustrated. Let's take a break instead of taking it out on each other, okay?"

Kaela and Ed grunted at the same time, refusing to look at each other.

"Um…"

The trio look to the door, where Sergeant Brosh was opening the door for a familiar face. Ed spoke first. "Sheska?"

The young woman walked up to the table, and Brosh left the room to resume his post outside to doors. Kaela turned around in her chair, scooting it over slightly so that Edward could be addressed.

Sheska smiled. "Thanks to you, Edward, I was able to move my mother to a better hospital.

"Ah, don't mention it," Ed said with a wave of his hand, a humble smile growing on his face. Kaela snorted to herself. Where was the pride he had just droned on about?

"Have you made any progress deciphering the papers?" Sheska asked, straightening. The three began groaning as if they were dead, causing the former librarian to backtrack a little.

Al chose to sever the atmosphere, and asked with a lighter tone, "Have you found a job yet?"

Apparently, this was not the question to ask because Sheska's shoulders slumped, and she made a similarly depressing moan of her own. However, she brightened up quickly. "Still, thanks to you, I've come to believe that even a good-for-nothing person like me can be of help to someone!" She bowed again. "Thank you very much."

"You're not a good-for-nothing person." The others turned their attention to Al. "I think that being able to try your hardest to be something is a talent all by itself. Besides, your memory is incredible. I think you should have faith in yourself."

"Well said, Al," Kaela said with a firm, sage nod.

Sheska paused, staring at Al with a bewildered expression, before smiling genuinely. "Thank you."

A commotion came from behind the double doors. A familiar face poked through them, one Kaela had seen only a few days earlier. Maes Hughes raised a hand in greeting. "Yo!"

"Lieutenant Colonel Hughes," Ed said in mild surprise. Behind their superior, Ross and Brosh saluted sharply, their rigid posture betraying their nerves.

"I heard from Major Armstrong that you were here," Hughes stated, walking forward with his arm still up.

When he reached the table, he slammed his hands on the table once Kaela and Sheska moved out of the way. "What gives?" He whined, sounding more like a hurt puppy than a commanding officer. "I told you, whenever you get to Central, give me a holler. Although," he jerked a thumb at Kaela who had only scooted her chair a few inches away, "Miss Rockbell actually stopped by a couple days ago."

"Oh," Ed said scratching his head with a sheepish look. "We just had something urgent come up." Kaela watched Ed and Al give her a questioning look, but she just lazily moved her focus to their escorts out in the hall, watching them whisper excitedly to each other. They seemed to be pretty close to be sharing secrets all the time, she thought.

"Well, I've been busy, too, and haven't been able to get away from the court-martial office," Hughes replied pleasantly. He scratched his head. "Lately we've had a lot of cases and whatnot. The Tucker Chimera case hasn't even been settled yet."

There was a pause, and Kaela felt not only her own but also the brothers' spirits sinking.

"Oh, sorry, I guess that brings up some unpleasant memories," Hughes said, the apology slipping quickly off his tongue. Ed's fists clenched. Hughes grabbed a chair and slid it out from under the table so that he sat beside Kaela and across from the boys. "But, you know, as if it wasn't bad enough, the first branch had to burn down, right when things are hectic."

Hughes's eyes slid over to the girl to his left, but she shook her head. She hadn't had the chance to talk to the boys about what the lieutenant colonel had shared with her, and she wasn't about to spill the beans now.

Thankfully, she wasn't given the chance to do so.

"The first branch?" Ed inquired.

"Yeah." An annoyed sigh escaped Hughes's lips. "Our case records and stuff were being stored in the stacks there, so it's impeding our duties something awful."

An idea popped simultaneously in each of the trio's heads and they gave Hughes a blank look.

"What is it?"

"Eh..?" Each one of their gazes turned to Sheska, who blinked before realizing what their epiphany was. She pointed at herself, making a sound of disbelief.

Ed leaned forward, a smirk rising the corners of his mouth. "What do you say, Lieutenant Colonel? She is looking for a place to work."

"It's true that I have read the military's criminal records, and remember them…" Sheska trailed off.

"All right! We'll get you processed right now." Apparently, that was enough for Hughes. "My office pays well!"

Sheska stepped back, glancing between Ed and her new boss. "Huh? You mean … um … " She finally settled on looking at the Fullmetal Alchemist, another sincere smile transforming her normally panicked face. "Thank you very much! I'll have faith in myself and do my best. Really, thanks so much."

Hughes began dragging her away with a cackle. "Come on, come on, right to work!"

Kaela gave Sheska a thumbs up when their eyes met before the doors shut behind them. Ed waved along with his brother, pen in his mouth and an amused expression on his face. "Who is this guy, a kidnapper?"

He sighed, though a different emotion backed it, and laid his head back onto the table. "Being able to try your hardest is a talent all by itself, huh? Nicely said, little brother."

"Whenever I look at a certain someone, that's what I think, deep down in my heart."

Ed flipped the pen out his mouth with his jaw and caught it with his left hand. "Okay, well, that certain someone will continue to try his hardest."

"Gross," Kaela said, stretching back in her chair. "I think that's enough sappy moments for the day. Besides," she picked up her packets that she had been working on before Sheska's appearance, "that 'certain someone' is totally me."

"You wish."

* * *

Over the course of the next several days, the three cracked down hard. There were moments when Ed would get frustrated and pull his hair out, or he and Kaela would fall asleep, but by ten days, Kaela felt like they were finally solving Marcoh's code.

Sometime before evening, Kaela had left to bring her and Ed some coffee to keep their brains stimulated. Unfortunately, that was their only energy source for the past few days; as they had deciphered further into Marcoh's work, the more they felt the need to pull overnighters. Coffee was the only thing keeping them going at this point, and Kaela could safely say she was sick of the beverage.

As she walked down the hallway that led to the library with two mugs in hand, she heard the bell tower ring, signaling sundown. Kaela hadn't even noticed the red streaming in through the window at the end of the hall. Ross and Brosh were already standing outside the doors, each nodding to Kaela as she approached.

"It's closing time," Ross said softly.

"It's been ten whole days, as of today." Brosh moved to open the doors for Kaela. "I'm surprised you've persevered until closing-"

"The hell with it!"Kaela heard Ed yell. Then, a crash. Brosh and Ross looked toward each other before opening the doors cautiously. Inside the room, Ed and Al sat cross-legged facing away from each other.

"A quarrel between brothers?" Brosh asked. Ross moved to speak, but Kaela cut her off.

"What did you figure out?" Kaela asked calmly, immediately understanding the atmosphere. She set the mugs down onto the table, uncaring whether they created coffee rings on the wood.

"We cracked it," Al mumbled. Behind Kaela, Brosh and Ross gasped in surprise. "We cracked the code."

"Really?" An excited grin formed on Brosh's lips. "That's good, isn't it?"

"There's nothing good about it, damn it!" Ed punched the ground, trembling. "This is the devil's research which shouldn't be pursued. Curse you, Doctor Marcoh." He raked his fingers over his face.

Kaela crouched in front of Ed, her usual mask of composure beginning to wear off with a crease between her eyebrows. She placed a hand on his shoulder, looking between Ed and Al. "What did you two find?"

He met her eyes, fury lighting a fire in their depths, yet they didn't quite see her. "The ingredients for a Philosopher's Stone...are live humans!"

Kaela felt the energy drain from her body, and she fell forward onto her knees, hand slipping from her friend's shoulder. She barely registered Brosh and Ross's concurrent gasps. This wasn't right. What Ed and Al had been working so hard for over the past several years, what they had been fighting for, tooth and nail, led to this? "Your joking, right? That's a lie."

Ed shook his head, his hand covering his mouth like he was going to be sick. "What's worse, in order to manufacture one Stone, it requires multiple sacrifices."

"How could the military carry out such an inhumane practice?" Brosh asked in disbelief.

"This is unpardonable," Ross added.

Ed drew in a breath, straightening up slightly, but he didn't turn his head when he addressed the escorts. "Would you mind not speaking to anyone about this?"

"But-"

"Please!" He sounded defeated, though Kaela didn't know how he couldn't. "Just pretend that you never heard this."

* * *

"Brother, go get you and Kaela something to eat," Al said that night. Ed laid on the couch, watching the fan above him spin shakily in the dark, with Kaela sitting on the other end with her knees drawn to her chest. The moon was the only source of light, bouncing off of Al's armor from where he sat behind the couch.

"I'm not hungry," Kaela mumbled, and Ed grunted his agreement.

"What a pain." Al and Kaela could only nod. Ed reached up to the ceiling with his automail arm. "You know, it's kind of like … just when we think it's within reach, it slips away from us. When it's finally in our grasp, we get kicked down by whatever we've caught." Kaela watched him throw his arm over his eyes and laugh humorlessly. "God must really hate people who commit taboos. I wonder if we'll be like this for the rest of our lives."

Kaela pulled her legs in closer with the silence. It hurt. Although she didn't really want to show it, it hurt. And for selfish reasons, too. She desperately wanted to find a way to help her companions, her best friends. A good chunk of the motive was that Kaela cared for them, and wanted them to be happy, of course. She wasn't entirely heartless. But there was a large part of her that still felt guilty about that day when she could've stopped them, could've saved them. Kaela felt even guiltier for wanting to ease that feeling being her main drive.

"There's something I've been meaning to say to you for a while," Ed said out of nowhere. Suddenly, Kaela felt like she was intruding on a private conversation. "I've been too afraid to mention it."

Al turned around so that he could see his older brother out of his peripheral vision. "What is it?"

Ed opened his mouth to speak, but it just so happened that someone decided that now would be the best time to pound on the door. A familiar, gruff voice called from the other side of the door. "Elric brothers, Miss Rockbell, I know you're in there! It is I! Open up!"

Ed sat up and Kaela put her legs down, with Al turning around so that the three of them were all watching the door. Al sounded a little frightened when he spoke. "What should we do?"

"Let him in," Kaela replied, while at the same time Ed said, "Ignore him." The two shot a glare at each other before Major Armstrong broke down the door, the handle still in his hand.

"I heard, Edward Elric!" Armstrong cried. The trio screamed at the enormous man's show of brute strength. "Such a tragedy! To think that such a terrible secret was being concealed by the Philosopher's Stone!"

Ed gave Brosh and Ross a look that said "I'm-very-pissed-off-at-you-Why-did-you-tell-him?" Kaela just wondered how the major could cry so much.

"Imagine, the military conducting something like that! The truth can be a cruel thing at times!" And the sparklies were back. While Kaela wondered how Major Armstrong defied the law of nature and alchemy on a daily basis, Ed shifted his attention to his fellow state alchemist, eyes widening a fraction.

"The truth?"

"What is it, Nii-san?"

"Do you remember what Doctor Marcoh said?" Ed asked, a wave of calm washing over his features.

"Huh?"

" … 'You'll be able to find the truth within the truth.'" Kaela supplied, her own mind's gears working with Ed's.

"It's the same as the alchemy research notes. What you see on the surface is only a portion of the truth." Ed pressed his thumb to his chin, deep in thought. He looked up suddenly, fire returning to his eyes. "There's still more. There's still…"

A few minutes later, with the lights turned on, all six of them sat in a circle around the coffee table. Major Armstrong laid out a map of Central City. "Currently, there are four alchemy laboratories within Central which have connections to the government. From among those, Marcoh worked at the Third Laboratory. That one is most suspicious." Armstrong pointed to a black box on the map.

Ed leaned forward in his seat, studying the map closely. "Hmm. We went around to all of the laboratories in the city, but they weren't doing any remarkable research-" He scanned the map until he found what he was looking for. Ed tapped his index finger onto another black box, which had been crossed out in a thick red 'X'. "Here. What's this building?"

He turned to look at Ross, who narrowed her eyes at the map before answering. "It was the building for the Fifth Laboratory, but it's not currently in use. There's a risk of it collapsing, so it has been declared off-limits."

"It's there."

"Eh? What makes you so sure?" Brosh asked, scrutinizing the marked paper. Ed moved his finger to the box next door.

"There's a prison next to it," Kaela stated, nodding in understanding.

"What about it?"

"What were the ingredients for a Philosopher's Stone?" Ed asked, not looking up.

"Let's see, live huma-Eegh!" Brosh's expression turned into disgust once he realized what Ed was meaning.

"They'd have condemned criminals in a prison," Ed said, ignoring Brosh's gagging. "Officially, they could say they were executed…"

Ross's face was beginning to pale. "You don't mean, the prisoners were the ingredients..?"

Ed put his hands up and leaned back. "Don't make that face. I don't want to think about it, either."

"And if prisons from other jurisdictions were involved…" Al added, "I wonder if the government is involved."

Brosh and Ross were beginning to look sicker by the second. "I kind of get the feeling that we've stuck our noses into something terrible, here."

"You see?" Al floundered. "This is why we told you to pretend you never heard anything!"

Kaela purse her lips with mild irritation. "Well, it's not like you told me what you had found right in front of their faces."

"You didn't tell them to leave, either," Ed said from beside her, sniffing his nose into the air.

"I didn't expect what you were going to tell me was going to be this dangerous!"

Armstrong rolled up the map and stood up, walking toward the entrance to the Elric's and Kaela's room. He turned around, facing them with a grim expression. "This could become a highly political issue. I shall look into this. In the meantime, Second Lieutenant, Sergeant, speak of this to no one."

"Yes, sir!" They called with a firm salute.

"And you three, behave yourselves." The brothers jumped and cried out in wordless protest, causing Armstrong's eyes to narrow. He crushed the map in his hands, seeming to grow even more gigantic in an instant. "Look here, you three! You were just thinking of sneaking into this building and looking around inside, weren't you?"

Kaela stared up at him, in awe of how scary the previously weeping major could become. The brother quickly shook their heads. "No, we weren't!" They repeated.

* * *

"I'm against this," Kaela said once the three officers left the room. Ed and Al flinched.

"Against what?" Al asked innocently. He and Ed began to whistle, refusing to look at their friend's pinched face.

"You know what I'm talking about, you silly boy. I've known you two long enough to know you were planning on sneaking out anyway." She crossed her arms, feigning a look of hurt. "Who exactly am I to you?"

The brothers exchanged a look before hanging their heads. Ed's lips pouted, and he looked up at Kaela without raising his head. "Well, we were kind of hoping you would go with us."

"Yeah, like usual." Al's eyes smiled.

"No."

"What?!" They both cried out in shock. Kaela had never refused to go on a secret mission with them before. Especially when it involved sneaking around. Al stepped forward. "But you love this kind of thing. We'll be like secret agents: tip-toeing around, gathering intel. You know, the stuff you always do anyway!"

"No, It's not because of that, Al." Kaela shook her head, frowning. "I'm worried we're taking this too fast. I mean, I doubt Armstrong will get anything done, what with this probably being an issue the military is hiding. But I think we should wait this one out. Think it through and gather a bit more information about this place."

Ed scowled. "What are you talking about? That's what we are doing by going there, Kae. 'Gathering information.'" He put his hands on his hips. "Besides, what happens if the place blows up before we can get a good look?"

"That's what I'm trying to tell you!" She shook her head in exasperation. "I went to Lieutenant Colonel Hughes's office when we first started working on decoding Marcoh's work and got some information about the library with Doctor Marcoh's research materials." Kaela spread her arms out, trying to make them understand what she was trying to tell them. "That fire wasn't an accident, Ed. It was a bomb."

"A bomb?" Al's eyes glowed a bit brighter.

"Yes! Don't you see? Someone is watching our movements. They're one step ahead of us, and they want to keep us from doing things like this!"

Ed stood silently for a moment, watching her grey eyes meet his with a desperate light hidden behind her frustration. He grimaced but sighed. "That's why we need to go, Kaela. Before anything happens again. This could be our last chance."

"What? No!" She grabbed his arm, the mask completely falling. "You are going to get hurt. We need to think this through!" Kaela glanced at Al, pleading silently.

Ed yanked his arm from her, refusing to meet her face again. Al stepped toward his brother. "Nii-san-"

"Let's go, Al." Ed began walking out the door. "If Kaela wants to stay here, she can."

"Edward Elric! Don't … Don't walk away from me like that!" But it was too late. Ed disappeared through the doorway and spun on his heel down the hall. "Al … Alphonse …" Al gave Kaela one last look before following after his older brother, a whispered apology floating through the air as he shut the door.

For the first time in a very long while, Kaela was left utterly alone.

* * *

 **Yay, you've finished this chapter! I'm so proud of you!**

 **Tell me what you guys are thinking so far. I need some feedback! Thanks again for reading!**

 **P.S.: I will try to update more often. The keyword is "try," though.**


	7. The Fifth Laboratory & Created Feelings

**Hello, again! I have given you all a sacrifice, hoping that it is decent. I'm pretty happy with this one; lots of original content, lots of fluff, lots of angst... it's got it all! Also, I'll be revealing a bit of Kaela's past in this one!**

 **That being said, please accept my offering!**

 **ps:**

 **I kinda combined two episodes here because Kaela doesn't really have much of a part in "The Fifth Laboratory."**

* * *

The Fifth Laboratory and Created Feelings

* * *

The door shut behind Al with a quiet click. Kaela was beginning to feel her extremities go numb, but she moved to the bed-Ed's bed- next to the window and watch for the brothers. Soon enough, after several minutes, they appeared from one of the military's entrances below their room. Absentmindedly, she wondered how they got past Sergeant Brosh and Second Lieutenant Ross before brushing the thought away.

How could they just leave her like this? She knew that they had a good point; the likeliness of the laboratory being destroyed soon was fairly high. But that was her whole issue with them going in the first place. She just wanted them to be safe, to not rush into something dangerous for once.

It wasn't that she was upset but rather frustrated. Her abandonment issues had vanished gradually a long time ago. It was more of the fact that they rarely listened to her when she told them not to do something as if she were a nagging presence in their life. It was irritating if anything.

As Kaela watched them run down the street and disappear from her sight, she turned around so that her torso faced the door and leaned back onto the window frame. She crossed her legs and closed her eyes, hoping sleep would take her before she worried herself to death.

Maybe she was wrong, and if they didn't do this now, the brothers would never get any clues to the Philosopher's Stone. In Kaela's opinion, though, that would be better than if either of them died.

Flashes of Al's seal being cut in half, Ed's body being ripped to shreds crossed her mind. Kaela sucked in a sharp breath and slammed her head against the frame, dissipating those evil images from her head. They wouldn't die. They _couldn't_ die. Ed was stronger than ninety-five percent of the military dogs roaming around the city, and Al was practically invincible, save for that secret spot on his neck. Besides, they weren't finished. The brothers needed to get their bodies back, otherwise …

Maybe she should have gone with them. Kaela was beginning to feel really bad about the way they had left. Sure, they had left her behind, but she had been stubborn in the way she had stayed. She should have gone with them anyway, to make sure they wouldn't get in trouble at the very least.

Kaela pulled her legs up toward her body, tiredness overtaking her body. She rested her head on her knees, eyelids heavy and straining to stay open.

They would be fine. They always were.

She was just worried for nothing.

* * *

" _You've brought your spawn here." A booming voice called out in the darkness, stating the fact rather than questioning. Kaela rubbed her eyes. For some reason, her hands seemed a little more pudgy than usual._

 _A voice next to her chuckled nervously. It was familiar to Kaela, but she couldn't pinpoint whose it was. "Yeah, I was wondering something, old man."_

 _Kaela tugged on the man's hand, blearily looking out into the darkness. "Papa … Who are you talking to?" The man looked down at her, but all she could make out was the purple irises of his eyes._

" _Not now, kiddo."_

 _Kaela pouted, but she didn't get the chance to speak again. The voice in the dark rumbled. "What is it you want to ask?"_

" _Could I have a few decades to myself? We don't need to do much work for a while until_ _ **he**_ _is finished, so I thought I could fool around for a while."_

 _A pause. "You want to raise a family."_

 _The man flinched, but he gripped Kaela's hand tighter. "Yes. You know me, wanting what is forbidden from me." He chuckled again._

" _You have a family already."_

" _No-I mean, I do, but I mean I want a wife and kid. That sort of thing."_

 _Silence came from the darkness. Kaela began shifting her feet. "Papa, I gotta pee."_

" _Alright, we'll go to the potty here soon. Just let me talk to this person, first."_

" _Okay."_

 _The mystery voice began making a strange noise. It was a few moments before Kaela realized he was laughing. "Greed, you think I'll grant you your wish?"_

 _The hand Kaela was holding onto stiffened. "Wait, no-"_

 _Kaela was ripped from the calloused grip, a surprised squeak erupting from her throat. A large hand yanked on her upper, pulling her deeper and deeper through the darkness. The man began chasing them._

" _Wait, no, please Father! Don't-She's my child!" He called, a frantic look in his eyes. "Please, don't do this. I'll … I'll leave them behind! I won't ever see them again!"_

 _Kaela was pulled off the ground, though she still couldn't see anything around her. "Papa, what's happening?"_

" _It's okay, kiddo. You're going to be fine, just wait for me."_

 _Hot breath was felt on the back of Kaela's neck. The mysterious voice, now much, much closer, spoke again. "I'm going to set an example, for you and the rest of your siblings."_

" _ **No!**_ "

 _Then, she was let go. Freefalling, Kaela felt a sense of fear before she fell into a liquid. A blood-curdling cry echoed from her mouth as her whole body was on fire. She splashed around, trying to feel for an exit, but all that was there was metal. "Papa! Save me! Papa, it hurts!"_

 _She could hear the man arguing, pleading, screaming._

 _Her tears mixed with the acid, the acid mixed with her skin, her muscles, her bones, until nothing was left._

* * *

The door creaking open awoke Kaela from her restless slumber. She had fallen from her sitting position and was now curled up on the bed. Sweat trickled from her forehead, and her muscles strained when she pushed herself up.

"Michaela?" A feminine voice called out from the room's entrance. Kaela looked up, recognizing Ross's uniform and cropped hair. "Are you okay?"

"Ah." Kaela hadn't realized she had been hyperventilating. She took a deep breath, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a nightmare."

Ross stepped through the doorway, and Brosh appeared behind her. Concern colored the officer's features. "Do you want to talk about it? You look … not too great."

"No, I'm-I'm okay. I don't even remember it." And it was true. The voices she had heard in the darkness, what they had said and even the pain she had felt was fading away.

"Are you sure?"

"I said I'm fine!" Kaela snapped. She regretted it immediately, though, when she saw Ross shrink back a little. She pinched the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm just exhausted."

Ross nodded, shaking off Kaela's outburst. It was rare to see Kaela this emotional, although Ross had heard Kaela bicker and laugh with the Elric brothers in the library for the past several days, something unseen by the public. "It's okay. You should have seen Brosh wake up when we were still in training. Despite his dumb appearance, he can be grumpier than Edward." Brosh gave her an irritated look, but she ignored him, instead searching the room. "Where are Edward and Alphonse?"

"Oh. They left for the Fifth Laboratory." It took Kaela a moment to realize that she had just let it slip that the brothers had snuck out. She watched Ross's expression drop to that of exasperation and the tears that seemed to come from nowhere on Brosh's face. "I forgot to mention that. Sorry."

"I thought it had been awfully quiet in here," Ross grumbled.

Brosh's hands flew up to his scalp and he clutched his hair. "Ah, we're going to be chewed out by Major Armstrong for dereliction of duty!"

"Those brats! Put yourself in your escorts' shoes, would you?" Ross turned around sharply and walked out of the room, not even sparing a glance for her partner. "Let's go!"

"Huh? Where?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Ross shouted over her shoulder. Kaela sprung from the bed, grabbing her coat and handguns from a nearby dresser, and followed close behind Ross and Brosh like a lost puppy. "We're going to the Fifth Laboratory!"

It didn't take long to acquire a car. Brosh and Ross sat opposite to Kaela as she gave the driver the address to the laboratory. Without looking at either of the officers, she began fiddling with her hands. The two exchanged a look.

"Why didn't you go with the boys?" Ross asked gently. "I would have expected you to be with them instead of sleeping at the apartment."

Kaela stopped pulling on her thumbs and folded her hands into her lap. There wasn't really any point in lying about this to them. "I wasn't exactly gung-ho for their plan. I told them I wouldn't go with them, so they left."

"What?" Brosh cried, jaw slack. "You three are practically inseparable. I can't believe they would just up and leave you!"

"Well, I guess I drove them away," Kaela said, moving her focus to the car window. The street lamps flashed a light through it in a rhythmic process, blinding her each time. Stray raindrops from the storm that occurred a few days ago slid down the glass as the car picked up speed.

"I'm sure you didn't, Michaela," Ross said, again with a mothering tone. But Kaela shook her head, finally meeting their eyes.

"You know Ed. He's stubborn, and, once he sets his mind on something, he has to follow through." She muttered, "Sometimes I think he'll spontaneously combust if he doesn't."

"And you didn't want him to go ..?" Brosh trailed off, leaving Kaela to fill in.

"No, I didn't." Her chest heaved, and a humorless chuckle rose. "In case you didn't know, I'm pretty stubborn, too. I didn't think it was a good idea, and practically nagged them about not going. But I'm not their mother. I don't have any right telling them what the should or shouldn't do. This is their task; I'm just a friend along for the ride." Her shoulders slumped.

The officers were quiet.

A crash suddenly rattled the car, and the three were instantly pressing against the left window. A plume of smoke was billowing in the east. Kaela whipped around, looking at the driver through the small opening between the divide. "Drive faster! Toward the explosion!"

Within minutes, the walls of the laboratory were visible. Kaela jumped out of the car before Ross or Brosh could say anything, nearly tripping over the cracks in the sidewalk. As she rounded the entrance, a limp body dressed in black laid around the corner, and her mind went blank. She saw the blood, seeping through the cracks before it began to dry. Her hands went to her pistols and loaded them without thinking.

When she reached the body, Kaela groaned in relief. It wasn't Ed. It was still terrible, sure, but the blow is always softened when the dead are unknown. However, the large knife wound that split the guard's head into two was not very promising of the brothers' adversaries.

"Go ahead and admit it. It'll make you feel better." A hollow, echoing voice called from the side of the building. For a moment, she thought it was Al's, but she realized it was lower, older, and brasher.

Al's own distinct grunts came next, confirming Kaela's thoughts. When she peered around the corner, Al was on his knees, attempting to block an attack by a portly man dressed in plated armor and a skull helm.

"You've left yourself wide open, you big behemoth!"

Kaela's hands moved on their own. A nanosecond later and Al's attacker's knife was flying from his hand, leaving it smoking similar to Kaela's right handgun. Ross and Brosh quickly appeared behind her, their own guns pointing at the assailant.

"Don't move!" Ross called, glancing between Al and the other armored man. "Surrender yourself, nice and easy."

"This is starting to get more complicated." The portly man scratched his neck. As his head turned away from the three, Kaela caught sight of a faint glow in the eye sockets of the skull. Her jaw went slack.

"Wait, you're-"

The laboratory began to rumble, shaking even the ground, catching everyone off guard. And then, there were lines of cracks forming all over the cement, all over the building itself. Sections of the building began to slip from where they originally connected.

Ross and Brosh began backing away. "Sergeant, Michaela, take cover!" Blasts of rubble shot from the building, creating a smokescreen all around the laboratory. An enormous boulder, at least twelve times the size of Al, fell only a few yards away from him. Ross grabbed the collar of Kaela's sweater and called out to the two suits of armor. "What are you doing? Get out of there!"

"But, Nii-san is still inside!"

"What?!" Ross and Kaela shouted in unison. Kaela began struggling, clawing at the convulsing building before her. However, Ross had a firm hold on the girl.

"Stop! You're going to get hurt!"

"No! Ed is still in there! I gotta go get him!" Kaela ripped free from the lieutenant's grasp, sprinting over to where Al was making his way toward the building.

"Nii-san … Nii-san!"

Abruptly, a massive chunk of the wall in front of them practically dissolved into dust, causing the two of them to back away. A lanky figure emerged from the ashy veil, his toothy grin shining under the moonlight. He was a boy no older than Kaela dressed in a tight, cropped halter and matching shorts, with a black headband covering his hairline. More importantly, the stranger was carrying an unconscious person, someone whom everyone recognized.

"Hey there, brought you guys some baggage." As the boy walked out from the gigantic hole in the wall, Al rushed forward, calling out for his brother. Ed was set down gently, and the mystery boy stood up straight, a cheeky grin painting his features. "His life isn't in any danger, but he's lost a lot of blood, so you should hurry and get him into the hospital. Also, you should keep a closer watch on them so that they don't do anything crazy. He's a precious resource, after all."

Kaela didn't like him. She didn't like his stupid, spiky hair that looked greasy more than anything; she didn't like his nonchalant grin like they were discussing some piece of news or gossip; she didn't like the strange tattoo that marked his leg.

Ross voiced all of their thoughts. "Who are you?"

"Lieutenant Ross, hurry!" Everyone turned to see Brosh running toward them.

"Sergeant, give me a hand!"

"He's covered in blood …"

"Talk later," Ross ordered. She turned to where the mystery boy was standing. "Hurry and get out of-"

But he was already gone.

* * *

A couple of days after the incident, Ed awoke during the night. An unfamiliar ceiling bore through his eyes, though that wasn't ever anything new. He tried to sit up, but the pain in his abdomen more or less told Ed that he shouldn't push it.

He groaned and looked around the room. Bland walls, a single potted plant in the corner of the room, and a couple of stiff chairs lined up near his bed. He frowned, feeling as though something was missing, but quickly realized what it was. His brother wasn't in the room.

An unintelligible mumble drew his attention to the left side of his bed. Kaela was sitting on one of the uncomfortable-looking chairs and leaning on the bed, arms folded under her head. Ed watched her for a moment, a mixture of feelings rolling around through his chest, before he placed a hand on her head, rubbing her black hair.

He laid that way for around ten minutes before Kaela stirred. Her eyebrows scrunched together, forming a line that Ed was certain would become permanent someday. Ed patted her head gently and let his hand slip back onto the bed. Her eyes opened, revealing a silver that rivaled the moon.

For a moment, she was unfocused, blinking several times until she made out the blurry figure staring at her. Gradually, a sleepy smile tugged the corners of her mouth.

"Hey."

" … Hey."

"How are you feeling? Not too much pain?" Kaela didn't really try to check.

"It's not bad. I can't sit up, though." He moved to demonstrate before Kaela pushed him back down.

"What are you doing, silly? If it hurts, don't do it." She yawned before changing the subject. "Do you need anything to drink? To go to the bathroom? Anything?"

"I think I'm okay for now." If he was telling the truth, Ed would have said he was a little hungry, but he noticed the bags under her eyes first. "How long have I been in the hospital?"

"Um … about three days, I think."

"That long?!" He shot up or tried to. Ed groaned as he fell back onto the mattress. Kaela's eyes flashed, and she sat up, a frown marring her features.

"I said if it hurts don't do it!" She hissed. Ed waved her off, but the tiredness in her eyes still bothered him.

"So, how much out of the past three days have you been here?" It was his turn to scowl when she didn't answer. "Did you even go home at all?"

She shook her head sheepishly. "I was too busy."

He threw his good arm into the air with an exasperated sigh. "You can't just nag me about taking care of myself when you obviously haven't. And what do you mean, you were 'busy'?"

Kaela flinched. "Well, I was monitoring your vitals, giving you hand baths, consulting the doctors-"

"Those are jobs for the nurses!"

"-and healing your injuries. I finally cut off the last of the internal bleeding maybe a couple hours ago. I haven't exactly had the time to go home and sleep. You were in critical condition for a while there, Ed."

And there it was: his guilty conscience butting heads with his concern for his best friend. Ed knew she couldn't help herself. She was constantly fussing over him and his brother, although most of the people around them believed her to be somewhat aloof and cold. He knew she didn't like being left alone. He knew she was afraid for him and Al, and he knew that night had probably pushed Kaela close to her breaking point. And he knew he had probably given the final shove.

Not to mention the fact that she had just saved his life.

"Kaela … Look, I'm sorry. For everything." When her face twisted in confusion, he sighed. He wasn't exactly one to apologize. "Specifically for the way I treated you the other night. It was mean-and harsh-and selfish. I was wrong to leave you by yourself."

A blank stare, then a nod. Kaela averted her eyes, resuming her earlier position of leaning on the bed with her arms crossed under her like a pillow. "It's okay now. I was just scared. For you two, not me."

He had hit the nail on the head, but he didn't think it would be the right moment to gloat about that. Kaela was very obviously trying to hide her embarrassment, but he could see the tell-tale red that tinged her ears. Ed grinned slightly and patted her head again, and Kaela dug her face further into her arms, knowing she'd been had.

"Now that I've begged for your forgiveness, I got a real question."

"What is it?"

"Where's Al?"

She turned her head toward him with pursed lips and furrowed brows. "I'm sure he's somewhere in this hospital, but … I don't know. He's been acting really weird, lately."

Ed's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Well," she said, growing more perplexed. "For starters, he has refused to talk to me since we left the laboratory. And he won't really talk to the others, either. I've been a little worried."

"That is weird. I don't remember him acting up before I went inside that building."

Kaela gasped. "What if he's angry at me for wanting you guys to stay, and that when I didn't come, you got really hurt? Oh, no, this is awful …"

Ed snorted. "I doubt that's it. Maybe he just misses me."

She didn't look convinced, but Kaela nodded. "I hope that is all it is. He's not the type to go and sulk over nothing." She yawned again, covering her mouth with her hand. "I'm going to go back to sleep. Wake me up if you need anything."

Before she could completely bury her head back into her arms, Ed shook Kaela's arm. "Hey, wait. I do need you to do something."

" … Yeah?"

"Go sleep in a real bed."

"But I don't want to walk home-"

"Not that, just go ask one of the nurses if you can use one of the spares or something. Tell them I said you could."

Kaela hesitantly rose, and Ed nodded in reassurance. "Are you going to be okay?"

"You said it yourself, Kaela," Ed said. "My life isn't in any danger now."

"Alright, then. Goodnight, Ed."

"'Night, Kae."

He watched her shakily trudge out of the room and returned the little wave she gave him when she paused at the door. Even after she left, he caught himself smiling, shaking his head at her cuteness.

Ed closed his eyes, thoughts of her silver eyes filling his mind just before the dreams did.

* * *

Kaela placed a hand over her mouth in an attempt to stifle a yawn. It was unprofessional, walking around the military hospital with a slouched posture and dark under eyes. However, no one seemed to recognize her, or at least pay her any attention, when she walked out of one of the spare rooms the next morning.

The hospital bed wasn't all that comfortable, but that is what happens when the supply is less than the demand. It seemed that the military was going for quantity over quality these days. Still, Kaela didn't mind the sleep. It was more comfortable than trying sleep while sitting next to Ed's bed for the past few nights.

She tried to remember where Ed's room was in this labyrinth of a hospital. Unfortunately, last night's journey to find a spare room hadn't been far from a drunk stumble, and she wasn't sure where she was. Thus, she wandered around for around fifteen minutes before catching some words down the hall of a familiar voice.

"You sure seem nice today ..," the voice said with a hint of fear. Rounding a corner, Kaela saw Ed standing next to one of the public phones that the hospital had dotted on its layout. "I mean, nothing, nothing … Mm-hmm … Mm-hmm … Sorry. Thanks for doing this … Yeah. See you later."

Ed placed the phone onto the receiver, both fear and relief haunting his face. Kaela almost made herself known, but Brosh spoke before she opened her mouth.

"Calling your girlfriend?" He said with a bright, innocent grin. Apparently, this was too much for Ed.

"Who are you calling my girlfriend?!" He jumped with shock, causing blood to spurt from his stomach.

"Hey!" Kaela felt a prickling irritation, along with something else she couldn't discern, in the pit of her stomach. Ed whipped his head around to see her march toward him, fury practically radiating from her skin.

"I thought you only had one more person to worry about?" Brosh asked, eyes widening slightly.

"I thought I did, too."

Kaela reached out and grabbed his shoulder, scanning Ed's stomach. A small patch of blood tainted the paper clothes. She glared up at her friend. "You tore my hard work up!"

Ed shrugged off her hand, a wavering look of indifference crossing his face. "It doesn't hurt. Much."

"Ugh, sometimes, I swear-" Kaela cut herself off, shaking her head. "Look, tough guy, I'll need to change your bandages again. Sergeant Brosh." The young man looked up at her. "Bring us a wheelchair so that tough guy, here, doesn't overexert himself any more than he already has."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"You know," Ed began once Brosh turned into the corridor at the far end. "I like it a lot more when you're nice. Like last night. I felt like we were bonding."

"Don't be so dramatic." Kaela couldn't fight the grin creeping onto her face. "I'm generally a nice person. You just make it difficult to be nice when you pull crazy stunts. Like, all the time." She blinked, the teasing tone leaving her voice. "Was that Winry?"

"Uh, yeah. I called her about my arm."

"And?"

"She said she'll be on the way soon. And she's going to charge extra."

Kaela just shook her head. "That's my sister for you." She paused before her eyes narrowed, the silver immediately dominating the gold. "What's this about my sister being your girlfriend? Were you flirting on the phone? What makes you think I'm just going to give my sister to you?"

Ed cowered slightly but held eye contact. "No, that was-Sergeant Brosh was just being a jerk. I wasn't flirting." When she squinted further, Ed hurriedly added, "I swear!"

Kaela sighed and averted her gaze, the easy-going smile making its way onto her lips again. "You make it a little too easy, Ed."

Before he could ask what she meant, Brosh approached with the wheelchair. As he sat in it Kaela crossed her arms. "Okay, Ed. As your personal doctor, I'm confining you to the wheelchair and your bed until _your girlfriend_ gets here."

Ed's jaw slackened. "What? You can't do that!" He wasn't sure which he was protesting: her commands or her choice of words.

"Oh, yes I can. I'm a certified doctor, remember? And I've already informed the staff here that you are in my care. Thus, the doctor's orders are actually _my_ orders."

They wheeled Ed down the hall, with the state alchemist muttering about how he should have hidden those healing alchemy books when he was younger, and that Kaela was actually a demon.

Brosh chatted happily along. "So, about your girlfriend…"

"She's not my girlfriend!"

"Aw, how dull." Brosh's smirk didn't seem to die down. "When I was your age-"

"Huh?" Ed's voice brought attention to a junction hall they were passing. In the dark, sitting on a bench, was Al. "What are you doing over there? Hey, Al!" The armored helmet turned to look at his older brother, the glow in his eyes strangely dim. "Why don't you come to the room?"

The silence began to grow awkward as the two brothers stared at each other. Kaela was beginning to get worried that Al was going to treat Ed the same way he had been treating her and the others, but he eventually spoke. "Mm-mmm, it's nothing. You go on ahead."

" ... Okay …" Ed's eyes didn't leave his brother's until Brosh pushed him forward. After a few moments with pursed lips and unseeing eyes, Ed glanced up at Kaela. "You're right. That was a little weird."

She sighed. "That was … actually the most I've heard out of him since we arrived at the hospital."

"I'm sure it will pass." New confidence suddenly burned through him. "He's probably just got a lot of things to think about. Hell, with what we discovered the other day? I'm surprised _I'm_ not acting the way he is now."

"That's because your a little wack in the head," Kaela muttered in response. After a tiny tantrum from Ed, she more or less said to herself, "I just hope your right."

* * *

A day later, Kaela found herself speaking with Brosh in Ed's room when the door slammed open with Winry on the other side. She dropped her suitcase, a blank expression on her face as she scanned over Ed's injuries.

Ed chuckled nervously. "T-that was fast. So, you're going to charge me for express service, right?"

Instead of the cocky response he was expecting, Winry glanced at her feet. "Well, I didn't service your automail right, so it broke, and you got yourself seriously injured, right?"

Everyone stared at Ed, waiting for her response. When Ed realized this (and caught Kaela's monitoring, if-you-hurt-my-sister-I'll-kill-you gaze), he floundered around. "I-it's fine, Winry. The cause of this was me using it in a reckless way. Your maintenance was flawless, as it always is." Winry flinched. "Besides, you could say that since my arm broke, I got out of it without getting hurt worse! Don't worry about it, okay? Okay?"

Winry's attitude completely turned around, even though it seemed as though she hadn't really heard Ed's last few sentences. She threw her arms up with a light whoop and brought them to her chest with clenched fists. "Well, then, let's get right to discussing this service call. I will be including a rush order fee, of course!"

Ed's jaw dropped in disbelief. Kaela nodded and muttered so lowly so that only Brosh could hear, "Smart move, Winry. Guilt trip always gets 'em." The sergeant raised a brow but chose to ignore her.

Winry glanced at his tray of food and began to scowl when she saw the glass bottle filled with a white liquid. "You left your milk." She looked sharply at him, and he whipped his head around, a dark look covering his face.

"I … hate milk."

"You're going to be a bean sprout forever if you keep saying that!" Winry covered her eyes with her hands and groaned in exasperation.

"Shut up!" Ed raised a fist threateningly. "If I hate it, I hate it!"

Armstrong's angry face suddenly cut into the conversation. "You're being inconsiderate, Edward Elric!"

"Every child drinks it!" Ross said chidingly.

"If you don't drink your milk, you won't be popular with girls!" Brosh's innocent grin made a return. Kaela sniffed, looking down at Ed.

"He already isn't popular with them, considering he's shorter than most of them."

Ed moved to open his mouth to retort, but the door to the hospital room shut, and a hulking figure moved away from the glass door. "Al?"

Soon after, it was just Kaela, Ed, and Winry in the room. Kaela sat in one of the uncomfortable chairs, trying to catch another nap, while Winry worked on Ed's arm.

"Al's been acting weird lately," Ed said, breaking the silence. Winry bent his elbow a few times, applying pressure at his shoulder. She reached into the pocket of her pink apron and pulled out a small screw.

"Weird, how?" Winry screwed the missing piece into his shoulder. She glanced back at Kaela, who fortunately had her eyes closed and didn't notice the subtle action.

Ed dug his face deeper into a pillow. "It's like something is bothering him."

It was silent after that. At some point, Brosh came back in, asking if anyone needed anything. At that moment, Winry made one final swipe down the automail arm with a cleaning rag. "All right! Maintenance complete!"

"Oh, you did it!" Ed sat up and began to make circular motions with the automail arm. "Ah, it's finally fixed. Thank you!"

"You're welcome!" Kaela listened to her sister and best friend, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, knowing her own sister was grinning as well even without opening her eyes. It was peaceful events like this that she loved. She loved it when the people she cared about most were simply talking around her. If only Al was in here too. Then, Kaela would feel completely at ease.

The door opened and Maes Hughes marched through with a "yo!" Kaela finally opened her eyes, lazily watching the boisterous man greet Ed. "I'm told you invited a girl into your hospital room, and you were getting frisky!"

The smile on his face mirrored Brosh's earlier one, even when Ed fell from the bed. "She's just my automail mechanic!"

"How did you know I was talking about her?" Hughes jerked a thumb at Kaela. "I could have meant Michaela, for all you know."

Ed gaped, unsure of what to say, but Kaela just snorted. Hughes made his way over to the bed and grabbed Winry's hand, shaking across the mattress. Winry smiled pleasantly. "Maes Hughes. Nice to meet you!"

"Winry Rockbell."

Ed slid onto the bed under their joined hands, a smirk settling on his face. "Are you sure you should be skipping work?"

Hughes just held out a hand in front of him, letting go of Winry's. "Do not worry. I gave Sheska some overtime." His bright expression evoked a semblance of pity from Ed. "By the way. I heard you guys aren't going to be under guard for much longer."

"Really?"

"Under guard?" Winry said aloud. The epiphany was short lived as she glared down at Ed, who stared back in irritation. "Hold on. Just how much trouble have you gotten yourself into?"

"Er… well, you see …" Kaela watched in surprise as Ed gulped and averted his gaze when Winry's face neared his. Something twitched in the depths of her stomach when a blush formed on his cheeks. "It's not a big deal."

She glared at him for a good minute, not flinching. Finally, she straightened up, huffing. "That's right! You brothers won't talk to me when I ask, anyhow. And Kaela is even worse!" She shot a look over her shoulder. However, she softened a moment later with a puff, picking up her box of supplies. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow. I have to go find a place to stay tonight."

"What?" Hughes's voice cleared whatever tension was left in the room. "In that case, you can stay at my place." At her protests, his grin cracked even wider. "Don't worry! My wife and daughter will be delighted! All right, let's do it!"

The rest watched Hughes drag Winry away in an eerily familiar style.

* * *

"You're here again today, are you, bastard?" Ed broke another uncomfortable silence the next morning. However, not only was Kaela in the room, but Al had finally decided to join them.

"Nii-san, you have a living body … so you have to drink it." Al's usual scolding tone was replaced with defeat. Kaela glanced up from the newspaper she was reading.

"If I hate it, I hate it." Ed bit into a piece of bread. "It may not look like it, but I have grown _some_. And yet, everyone calls me Shorty." He paused in his grumbling. "I wish I were like you, Al. Your body as big as it is …"

Al stood up, knocking over the wooden stool he had been sitting on. "I didn't get this body because I wanted it!"

It was like the world stopped. Kaela watched Ed stiffen, not even moving his eyes to look at Al. It was only seconds later that she noticed her sister had walked in and had apparently heard Al's outburst as well.

"Sorry. You're right." Ed's tone had changed to a submissive, foreign one. Kaela felt herself stand up. "It's my fault you ended up like this, too, isn't it?" He shrunk a little. "That's why I want to get back your original body-"

"Can you guarantee that you'll ever really get my original body back?!"

Kaela stepped forward. "Al-!"

"I'll get you back, believe me!" Ed finally looked over at his brother, eyes glazed over with what looked like a mixture of defeat and desperation.

"Believe you?!" Al placed a gloved hand onto his chest. "What am I supposed to believe, when I'm in this hollow body? I mean, when you boil it down, memories are just a bunch of information. It should also be possible to artificially construct them!"

"What are you talking about-"

"Nii-san, you told me before that there was something you were afraid to talk about, right? Was it, by any chance, that I … That my soul and memories, are both just counterfeits that you invented?" Ed's eyes widened. "And that you, Granny, Kaela, and Winry … you're all just trying to fool me, aren't you? How about it, Nii-san?"

Ed slammed his fists on his tray. "Did you have that pent up all this time?" Al stepped back. Ed began to shake. "Is that everything you wanted to say?"

There was no answer to his question.

"Okay." Ed sat up, exhaling deeply. He pushed his tray from him and walked out of the room, not even looking at Al as he passed him. Winry called his name a few times, but he didn't stop walking.

Kaela made eye contact with Winry, the silent conversation leading to an understanding nod. Kaela jogged out of the room, casting one last glance at Al's hunched backside. As she made her way down the hall, she heard a loud ' _clank_ ' and "you _idiot_!"

It was a silent walk to the roof. Kaela knew Ed was aware of her presence, as when he stopped for no reason and listened for her the halting of her own nearly silent footsteps several paces back. She wanted to call out to him, to tell him that Al didn't mean what he said, but Kaela wasn't entirely sure if what the younger brother said was really believed by him or not. She could lie to Ed. But she wanted to console him. Kaela was torn, so she hung back, deciding that making sure he didn't do anything rash was better than trying to talk to him

She followed him to the rooftop, where he leaned against the railing. Kaela remained where she stood on the middle of the rooftop until Ed patted the bar next to him as a quiet invitation. Wordlessly, Kaela took her place next to him, watching his face out of the corner of her eyes. Ed was calm, but it wasn't as though he wasn't affected by Al's words; an air of sorrow hung around him.

"... Ed …"

"Sometimes I wonder if he hates me."

The words were raw, full of some many feelings and emotions that Kaela couldn't name all of them, but she understood. She understood that guilt and fear drove those words. Kaela was selfish, thinking that she was the only one feeling guilty, and it hurt realizing this. It _hurt._ It hurt, knowing that this misunderstanding was pulling these brothers apart. And it hurt, knowing that Al was questioning his own _existence_ and that Ed was questioning his right to _live._

She exhaled through her nose, looking up at the sky. She wasn't sure what to say to him. Maybe Kaela didn't need to say anything at all. But, that didn't feel right.

Behind them, the door to the roof opened, and Ed's face fell into one of austerity. Kaela turned, correctly guessing it would be Al. For a moment, it was quiet.

"Nii-s-"

"Come to think of it," Ed began, cutting his little brother off. "We haven't sparred in a while, and I'm starting to get a little flabby." He kicked off his slippers, his automail foot clinking against the ground. Ed turned around and ran at Al, who was more than confused.

"Huh? Hey-"

Ed's foot shot out, and Al barely had any time to dodge. He stumbled backward. "Just a minute, Nii-san!" Al's pleas echoed across to rooftop, but Ed had no intention to stop. He kept kicking, punching, charging at the armored boy who refused to return the attacks. "You're going to open your wounds up!"

At the thought, Kaela momentarily wondered if she should stop them. It had only been a few days since she had closed the wounds herself, and she hadn't been giving him any more treatment (only because Ed demanded she stop working until she passed out). But Kaela saw the look in his eyes, the fire, and didn't move from the railing.

He would be fine. He knew what he was doing.

In seconds, Ed had overtaken Al, surprising him by throwing a nearby sheet over his brother's face. As Ed's foot collided with Al's hidden face, Al cried out and fell backward. Ed landed on his feet, determination and triumph glittering in his eyes. "I won! That's the first time I've ever beaten you!"

He plopped onto the cement floor, and Al threw off the sheet. "That's not fair, Nii-san."

"Shu-shut up! A win's a win." He closed his eyes, and spread his arms out, mirroring Al's position. "We've fought a lot since we were little, haven't we. Thinking back on it now, we fought over some stupid things.

"Like who got the top or the bottom of the bunk beds. We even fought over candy, huh?"

"And we squabbled over that toy."

"I won that one. And when we were playing in the Rain River, too."

"I got pushed in the river, didn't I?"

"We fought when we were training, too, huh?"

"Teacher told us we were making too much noise and beat us half to death. That one was a draw."

"We even fought over who was going to marry Winry."

Ed flinched and turned his head to look at Kaela. She simply stared back at the boys, showing no sign of comprehending what Al had just said. Ed hoped she wouldn't beat him up later. "E-eh? I don't remember that!"

"I won. But then she shot me down."

"Oh, yeah." Ed would live another day.

A moment of silence passed, and Kaela was beginning to wonder if they were just skirting around the issue. Then, Ed spoke.

"And you're telling me those memories were all lies?"

"I'm sorry." It was a very sincere apology, one that made Kaela smile softly.

"You're saying that your goal to get your body back, no matter what it takes, is also fake?"

"It's not fake."

"That's right." Ed clenched his fist, and Al did the same. "We decided we'd get back to normal together. We're going to keep pushing forward. Pushing forward, and making our hearts and fighting skills stronger." The brothers each raised a fist toward the sky as if making a vow.

"What about the milk?" Al asked with a hint of amusement in his voice. Ed's fist twitched, the resolve fighting to stay alive.

"I'll drink! … As much as I can …" They shared a laugh and bumped their knuckles above their heads. "Let's go get much, much stronger."

"Okay."

Kaela didn't notice when it had started, but she was grinning from ear to ear, the strange feeling in the pits of her stomach gone. She was glad-beyond glad- that the boys had made up. Sure, it was funny to see them quarrel from time to time, but when it was this serious, it made Kaela upset.

She glanced up, noticing Hughes and her sister standing in the door frame, also watching the brothers. When Kaela and Winry's eyes met, another nod was shared between them, along with a few giggles. Winry said a few words to Hughes before waving to Kaela and disappearing inside the building.

Kaela looked up at the sky. For once in her life, the guilty coil around her heart was shoved aside, even if it was only for a little while.

* * *

 **Congratulations! You did it!**

 **I must know: did you all catch on to each of the characters in the dream? Let me know! I was hoping to make it fairly obvious, but also kind of vague.**

 **Also, I really enjoyed writing that cute scene between Kaela and Ed. It made me do little dances from the fluff, hehe. Honestly, I'm not exactly sure when their romance is going to pick up speed, but it will definitely be more around the fight with Gluttony. Until then, we are going to have little moments where they feel kinda weird, but aren't really sure what they are feeling.**

 **Thanks again for reading! Stay tuned because I have NO IDEA what the friggin' schedule for this fic is.**

 **ps:**

 **PlEaSe ReViEw. I need them. Even if they are mean. Just lay it on me.**


	8. Separate Destinations

**I have finally shoved a chapter out (although it is half the size as usual! Sorry!). Thank Jesus! Scholarships and other time-consuming things have been kicking my ass.**

 **Probably the saddest episode, because Hughes reminds me of my own father... Anyway, it's a little short because there isn't a lot of Ed/Al/Winry at all in this episode, so I had to work with what I had. Think of it as a kind of fill in.**

 **Also: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REVIEWING! It makes my day so much happier. I'll reply to them at the end of the chapter!**

 **Welp, here's this teeny tiny fill-in chapter that I wish could have written faster!**

* * *

Separate Destinations

* * *

After the fight between Ed and Al, it was a while before those who knew about the incident at the Fifth Laboratory could meet up, between work and their own investigations. When they were finally able to gather in one place, it was in Ed's hospital room just before he would be released. Ed and Kaela sat on the bed, whereas Al, Hughes, and Armstrong circled around. Brosh and Ross had been assigned to the door outside so that they wouldn't overhear what the five of them would discuss, but Kaela knew they would eavesdrop either way.

Ed was holding a crude drawing, supposedly depicting a pretty lady, who had attacked Ed while he was still inside the building, and the greaseball who dragged Ed out from the crumbling laboratory. He pointed to the latter. "So, I don't remember anything after this one kicked me."

"Guardians, who were only souls … a precious sacrifice … him letting you live …" Armstrong glanced down out the papers that Ed had scribbled on anything he could remember from that disastrous night.

"Ouroboros tattoos … a Philosopher's Stone transmutation circle …" Hughes picked up on Armstrong's train of thought. "Marcoh saying they used Stones in Ishval …"

"There are just too many mysteries here for just a simple experiment," Armstrong said, glancing over at his superior officer.

"And there's no way to investigate further, what with the lab being a pile of rubble."

An awkward silence ensued as the two adults in the room digested the information given to them. Kaela glanced down at the papers filled with information and sketches. The strange, circular symbol with various markings surrounding it was familiar to her; several alchemic books contained that marking. The Ouroboros marking was an indication of wholeness, infinity. In other words, a cycle, which was exactly what alchemy was. The process of breaking something down and combining the leftover materials into something new was a process that went on forever in the alchemic world. And then there was the sketch of the transmutation circle for the Philosopher's Stone. It was another thing she had only seen in books, although she was sure that Ed and Al have already practiced making the sigil.

Kaela huffed through her nose, knowing it might have been better to mull over this beforehand. Ed hadn't told her anything before this meeting, saying that she'll "know everything soon enough." He probably just didn't want her to get mad at him and Al, which was rightly founded as she had already lectured them half an hour earlier after they had finished telling the story.

Hughes picked up the sketches of the Ouroboros tattoos and scanned them over. "If I root around the criminal lists at the court-martial office, something might turn up."

"I shall look into those who were working under Doctor Marcoh in researching the stone," Armstrong commented and picked up the sketches of the transmutation circle.

There was a knock at the door, but it wasn't either Brosh or Ross like Kaela had expected. A relatively thick man walked through the door in full military uniform and an eyepatch covering his left eye. Kaela didn't recognize the man at first, but, when she looked at the golden patch on his uniform that signified his rank, her jaw nearly dropped when she realized it was King Bradley himself. She felt herself stand up and salute along with Armstrong and Hughes.

"K-King Bradley!" Armstrong addressed him with a loud, stumbling voice. The Fuhrer simply wave him off.

"Ah, keep your voice down. As you were." King Bradley was nothing like Kaela expected him to be, even though she had seen him before from a distance. He seemed friendly and pleasant to be around, his voice wasn't harsh or booming, and he smiled like the kind old man who lived down the road from the Rockbells.

"Your Excellency, what are you doing here?" Hughes asked as King Bradley approached Ed, who had risen from the bed next to Kaela. Instead of bowing like the rest of them, Ed looked the Fuhrer straight in the eyes.

"What, you ask? Visiting a sick friend." King Bradley lifted up a woven basket with a large, green fruit inside. "Do you like melons?"

"Yeah, thanks." Ed accepted the gift with eyes as round as the melons themselves.

"I understand you've been checking up on the senior staff members, Major Armstrong," the Fuhrer said without looking at the major. Armstrong began to visibly sweat, and his bewildered face only grew more confused.

"Sir? Um, er, sir, how did you-"

"Don't underestimate my information network." King Bradley sent Armstrong a sidelong glare. "And Edward Elric … the Philosopher's Stone?" Ed, Kaela, and Al simultaneously stiffened, unsure of where King Bradley was going with this. "What have you found out? Depending on how much you've learned …"

The tension in the room was thick you could have cut it with Ed's arm blade. Kaela looked around the room, uncomfortable with how the situation had turned dark and unpredictable in a matter of minutes. Not even Hughes looked like he had a grasp on the situation.

Out of nowhere, King Bradley began to roar with laughter, surprising everyone and making them feel even more uncomfortable. "Just kidding! You needn't be so defensive." He placed a hand on Ed's shoulder.

" ...Huh?"

"I know there is some unrest among the ranks." The Fuhrer let his hand fall from Ed's shoulder. "I think that something should be done about it." He picked up the packet of sketches on Ed's food tray, causing Armstrong to vocally flounder before inevitably closing his mouth. "A list of those who were researching the Philosopher's Stone. All of these men have gone missing. They disappeared a few days before the Fifth Laboratory collapsed. The enemy is always a step ahead of us. And even with my information network, as it currently stands, I have no handle on the enemy's size, their objectives, or how far they've infiltrated us."

"In other words, it's quite dangerous to be poking around," Hughes summed up. The Fuhrer grunted an affirmative response.

"Lieutenant Colonel Hughes, Major Armstrong, Elric brothers, Michaela Rockbell. I've determined you to be men I can trust." King Bradley's face darkened. "I will not allow you to stick your noses in any further into this matter, nor speak of it to anyone! Under the present circumstances, when we cannot tell friend from foe, you cannot trust anyone. Consider everyone in the military to be an enemy, and act discreetly! However …" He dipped his head, and the easy-going smile returned. "When the time comes, I will have much work for you to do, so see that you are ready."

"Yes, Sir!" Hughes and Armstrong saluted again.

A new voice called from outside the doors. "Excellency! Where is His Excellency, the Fuhrer?"

"Uh-oh!" King Bradley turned away from the door, mildly unnerved, and saluted to Hughes and Armstrong before making his way toward the window. "My pesky subordinates have come after me." He opened the window and hopped outside. "I've secretly slipped out of work, you see. Well, farewell!"

The five of them watched as he walked calmly around the building as if he hadn't done any sort of mischievous act moments earlier.

"Ed! Eh…?" Winry walked through the front door of Ed's room, only to find the five with varying degrees of disturbed expressions. "What's wrong, everyone?"

"Nothing, a storm just passed through." Winry simply stared at Ed, unable to completely understand his words, and shut the door behind her.

She walked around the bed and stood in front of Kaela. "I've bought those tickets you asked me to get. The train tomorrow at noon is okay, right?"

"Yeah, thank you."

Kaela took the tickets from Winry, slipping them into the breast pocket of the white button-down she had gotten from their apartment. She realized the day of Ed and Al's fight that she was really grimy, which was kind of gross (Ed made sure to mention it). Thus, she finally started sleeping back in their apartment and kept up with showering so that whenever the military officials came by she didn't look like the walking dead.

Armstrong looked down at Ed. "My, my, you're sure on the go. You haven't completely healed."

"You expect me to stay in this disinfectant-reeking place forever?" Ed placed his hands on his hips, shooting a look at Kaela next to him. "Besides, my personal doctor here actually had me fully patched up a while ago."

"Where are you going now?" Hughes asked, looking over Winry's shoulder at the envelope that had carried the tickets inside. "Dublith?"

"Yeah." Ed patted his brother's arm and placed a hand on Kaela's shoulder. "I talked it over with these two, and we are going to see our old teacher."

Kaela felt herself stiffen at the idea. Izumi Curtis was the one person she had constant nightmares about, and for good reason. A strange noise came from her left, and she knew it was Al's armor rattling from his instinctive trembling at the idea of the frightening woman.

"I sure am scared, Nii-san!" Al looked at his shaking hands before taking hold of his brother's hands. "I'm sure she's going to kill us!"

"D-Don't wimp out, little brother!" Ed stammered. "I'm scared, too!"

"How easily you mention your fears," said Kaela with an eye roll. Both brothers grimaced at her, and the trio knew full well that Kaela was just as afraid of Izumi Curtis as they were.

"What kind of teacher is this?" Winry wondered aloud.

"Still quite a distance beyond Dublith." Armstrong pulled out a map of Amestris's entirety.

"Where is it?" Winry glanced over the major's shoulder (or rather elbow due to his height) and scanned the map.

Al shifted over to look at the map, too. "Let's see …" The glow from his eyes faintly shifted onto the paper as he searched for their destination. "Here. Right in the middle of this southern area." He pointed at a small, white dot in an area shaded a color that reminded Kaela vaguely of baby vomit.

Winry hummed with mild interest, but gasped and yelled wordlessly after only seconds, taking aback everyone in the room, including her sister.

"What … what is it?" Ed asked, still a little stunned.

Winry pointed to an even smaller dot on the same railroad route, just north of Dublith. "Here! Here! Just before Dublith! The holy land of automail, Rush Valley! I've always wanted to go there!" Winry's tone became reminiscent of her own as a child. "Take me there, take me there, take me there, take me there!"

Ed's eyebrows knitted with annoyance. "Go there on your own."

"But who will pay my traveling expenses?" Kaela snorted at the fact that her sister would so readily spend Ed's money over her own that she earned from creating and repairing automail. She didn't know when it had started, but Winry was beginning to get even more stingy than Pinako these days.

Apparently, Ed had sensed this as well. "Are you trying to mooch off of me?"

"Now, now, where's the harm?" Al maneuvered himself so that he was between the two, and his voice soothed them enough that they no longer looked agitated. "It's on our way, after all." Al's eyes flashed over to Kaela, to whom he gave a mental cry for help. She shrugged and sighed.

"I can pay for her expenses. I still have some money left over from helping out in the hospital this week."

Winry flew over to Kaela like the wind, lifting her off her feet in a tight hug. "Thank you so much!"

Ed groaned and folded his arms. "If you two insist." Winry started doing a little happy dance, which pulled a chuckle from Kaela's throat.

"I'll go call Grandma!" And just like that, she was gone. Kaela let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. As much as she loved her sister, Winry could be a lot sometimes. Still, it balanced out Kaela's aloof act and Ed's arrogance, which always made for a good comedy run.

Hughes put a hand on Ed's shoulder. "Yep. She'd make a fine wife."

"Don't tell me!"

"Though, not as fine as my own wife!" Ed seemed to deflate, unsure of how to reply.

* * *

The brothers and Kaela stopped by their apartment to grab a few changes of clothes and other necessary travel supplies, whereas Winry headed off to Hughes' home where she had been staying since she had arrived in Central.

Kaela rummaged through both hers and Ed's drawers, grabbing clothes that didn't look too worn and underwear that she had washed on one of the nights she happened to have nothing else to do. Al sat on the floor in his usual spot, reading a book he had borrowed from Sheska a while back, and Ed seemed to be content catching sleep earlier than usual.

She wrinkled her nose, pulling out some weird smelling socks from the top drawer next to Ed's bed. "I swear, you need to do your own laundry. And your own packing."

"Yeah, but," Ed said, stifling a yawn, "I forget and you remember. It kind of works out that way."

"Oh, yeah? What am I getting in return for washing your stinky undergarments?"

"Hmm …" Ed rolled onto his side, opening his eyes and watching Kaela fold his clothes into neat squares and place them into his respective suitcase. It seemed fascinating, just watching her doing something so simple with ease and alacrity, and he found himself being lulled to sleep even further just watching her hands. "You shall receive my eternal gratitude."

"Is that so, oh mighty Fullmetal Alchemist?" She snorted, though there wasn't any venom laced in her words. "Al, do you also expect me to polish and shine your armor so that I may stand in your favor?"

"Huh?" Alarmed at being brought into one of their bickerings, Al nearly jumped, looking up from his book with such speed that Ed was absolutely sure he would have broken his neck had he actually had bones to break. "Uh, you don't have to do that, Kaela. I'm fine being crummy and dirty. I don't feel it either way."

The small grin that had ghosted Kaela's lips fell into a pained expression. "No, I was kidding, Al."

Silence consumed the room, save for the muffled rustling of the continuation of folding Ed's clothes. Ed watched Kaela for a while longer, his eyelids drooping with each fold. Eventually, he closed his eyes, convincing himself he would only nap for an hour. The rustling continued, even after sleep lulled him into the land of dreams.

He wasn't quite sure what time it was when he woke up, but he knew he had napped a lot longer than he had originally meant when the red sunlight poked through the window panes and created strange shapes out of light on the wooden floor. Rubbing his eyes, he sat up and glanced over to where Kaela had been packing their suitcases, only to find the luggage bags fully packed and set off to the side near the door. Against the wall, Al was still reading the book from Sheska's personal library, only he was further toward the end pages.

"Where'd Kaela go?" He asked groggily. Al looked up for a moment, taking in Ed's sleepy appearance, before returning to his book.

"I think she said something about grabbing some new toothbrushes from town. That was about an hour ago."

"Oh. Okay."

"Al!" A frantic voice called from the other side of the door, rousing Ed to shoot up into a sitting position. He gritted his teeth at the dull throb in his abdomen. Kaela burst through the door, beaming from ear to ear. "Al, guess what I found in the marketplace!"

She dropped to the floor next to a startled Al, but she didn't seem to notice his alarm. Instead, out of one of the inner pockets of the tan trenchcoat she was wearing, Kaela pulled out a small, mewling ball of grey fur. Immediately, Al's eyes lit up (literally). "A kitten!"

"A what?!" Ed swung his legs onto the side of the bed and leaned down, getting a better look at the tiny creature. Its grey fur was speckled with white flecks, most prominently on the end of its tail, and was long enough to make Ed begin to sneeze. Kaela set it down onto the floor when it promptly started wandering around the immediate area, rubbing itself against Al's hip and Kaela's crossed legs and crying out in confusion from the sudden loss of touch.

"Oh, gosh, it's so cute!" Al set down the book and lifted up his new friend under its forelegs. "You are so cute!" He said again, this time to the kitten. It mewed in response, seemingly unbothered by the coldness of Al's gloves.

Kaela chuckled. "I found him sitting outside that really nice bakery on Main Street. He was practically begging me to take him home."

"Take it back."

Kaela whirled her torso around to face Ed. A look of irritation had already settled on her face before she even turned. "What?"

Ed swallowed, but he wouldn't back down. "I said, 'take it back.' We don't have time to spend on a cat, much less a kitten."

"But, Ed! He could be our mascot or something!" Al whined, drawing the struggling kitten to his chest.

"I said no."

Both Kaela and Al deflated, looking crestfallen at the small creature that they had so quickly bonded with. Kaela sighed. "Fine. I'll take him back right now."

Ed watched her stand up. All the joy that had covered her entire face, had lit up her eyes like the full moon, was now replaced by dejection. Instantly, he felt bad. God, what was with him and his guilty conscience lately? Al had always managed to dig a way into his heart, but usually, he could brush off Kaela being upset with him. Recently, it had been starting to feel like he caved faster than usual to her nagging, too. He coughed, unable to meet either his brother or best friend's eyes. "Actually, hold on."

Oh, no. There was that hopeful look in both their eyes. Ed couldn't turn back now. "I've changed my mind. It can stay, for the time being."

"Really?!" — "Are you serious?" The two bounced, unable to contain their excitement.

"Yeah, but it is only going to serve as a backup meal," Ed said. "Which means if we find ourselves in need of food and are unable to get any, it will be my first choice to eat."

Al nodded, but Kaela wouldn't have it. She gasped and fell onto her knees, picking up and cradling the kitten, murmuring, "I would never eat you, George! I'd rather eat that big meanie over there, first."

"George?" Al asked incredulously.

"Oh, sorry. That's kind of what I've been calling him in my head." Kaela's eyes flicked up at the armored spirit. "If you want, we can name him something different."

"No, I like it. George, it is!"

George purred happily, swishing his tail back and forth, much to Ed's dismay.

* * *

The next morning, the three met up with Winry at the station, along with Armstrong, Brosh, Ross, and Hughes's wife and daughter. Before stepping onto the train, Kaela glanced over at Gracia and Elicia. "Is Hughes not going to see us off?"

Winry shook her head, helping her sister up the steps on the back of the rail car. "No. He said he was really busy with work today, what with the Fifth Laboratory incident and all. But, he did tell me to say good-bye and good luck to you guys."

The girls found Al and Ed already sitting in their seats; Winry sat next to Ed and Kaela made do with squishing herself beside Al. Ed snorted, and said, "The only reason you're able to sit there is that you're so small."

Kaela rolled her eyes. "So, that means we could switch places, and you'd fit better?"

"Hey! — I'm taller than you!"

"Yeah, by, like, an inch."

"Stop that, you two." Winry pinched her nose. "I swear, you guys probably bicker in your sleep." Kaela shrugged. She wasn't wrong. Ed folded his arms and exhaled sharply, looking out the window.

"Anyway." Kaela turned to the younger brother, who was trying to make himself as small as possible. "Al, did George make it on safely?" Winry's face scrunched in confusion, but they ignored her. He tapped on his chest plate.

"He's sleeping in here."

"Good — wait, did you get some newspapers?"

"... Uh …"

"Oh, gosh." Kaela ran her fingers through her hair and scanned the rest of the car. "Let's hope George doesn't have any accidents." She waved over one of the conductors. He made an effort to walk quickly and asked how he could be of service. "My friend here spilled something inside his armor. Do you think you could grab me some spare newspapers to mop it up?"

The conductor nodded, his eyes flashing to Al who was looking quite embarrassed and rushed off. Kaela noticed there were more people now on the car, and the train whistle began to screech in her ears. They were finally leaving. They all waved out the window at their former escorts and Hughes's family. Armstrong saluted, and Kaela momentarily wondered if that wetness in his eyes was tears. Elicia waved back, calling out Winry's name over and over.

Once the train pulled out of the station and the billowing, dark smoke was steadily flowing overhead, the conductor came back with a small stack of newspapers. "Will this be enough?"

"Yes, more than enough." Kaela took the papers and gave him a brief nod. "Thank you very much." She stood up and shimmied in between Al and Ed, who grumbled something about being glad she was small.

Opening the chest compartment, Kaela found George sleeping on a makeshift shelf Al had probably made with alchemy. Winry leaned over, pushing an even more grumbly Ed into the wall, and "aw"ed at the sight of the kitten.

"Sorry, George," Kaela muttered, picking up the kitten with both hands so she wouldn't wake it and silently placing it in the small space on the bench next to Al, putting the newspaper on the shelf. Behind her, Winry wiggled.

"No, Winry," she said without looking at her sister, "you can't pet George. We'll get into trouble if anyone sees him." Winry stopped wiggling and huffed in annoyance.

Just when Kaela shut the door to Al's chest cavity, the train lurched slightly, which was enough for Kaela to lose her balance. She tried to regain her footing, but she didn't keep her torso in check and fell forward with the momentum. Kaela landed on Al's breastplate with a grunt of pain, narrowly missing the metal spikes on his shoulder armor.

"Are you okay?!" Al exclaimed as Kaela pushed herself off of him.

"Yeah," she replied, rubbing her chest. "But, I think I bruised my sternum or something. Probably woke George up, too."

Behind them Winry snorted and giggled, followed by the sound of Ed's arm hitting the bench. Kaela and Al glanced over at the two, noticing Winry holding her stomach with tears glittering in her eyes, pointing shamelessly at Ed, who had his arms crossed and donned a pissy expression.

When Winry caught sight of her sister's raised brow and managed to speak. "He — he was ready to … catch you … ha … and he was — was so disappointed … haha!"

"No, I wasn't!" Ed refused to meet Kaela's questioning gaze. "I was just stretching, and it just happened to look like I was doing that!"

"Whatever." Kaela rolled her eyes and took her seat next to Al again. "Let's all just catch some sleep. It'll be a while until we get to Rush Valley." She promptly shut her eyes and slumped in her seat a little, allowing the weird heat on her cheeks to fade away along with her consciousness.

* * *

"What made you suddenly decide to go see your teacher?" Winry's voice and dimming pain woke Kaela from her nap. She sat up and squinted, the orange, setting sun streaming through the windowsill.

"There are two reasons," Ed said. "Lately, we've been on a real losing streak."

"Huh? You're going there to improve your fighting?" Winry scowled. "What are you, fighting fools?"

"No, dumbass, it's not as simple as that," Ed barked, glaring at Winry. He held his head, leaning his elbow in the right of the window's frame. "It's not just the fighting. It's what's inside us, you might say. Right?" He looked up at Al and Kaela, who had alerted her awareness with a yawn.

"Sure," she said with another gaping inhale.

"Yeah." Al made up for Kaela's reticence. "Anyhow, we feel if we go visit our teacher, it will help strengthen us somehow."

"I want to get even stronger," Ed said, looking out the window.

Winry took a moment to digest the information but ultimately looked rather dubious. "What is the second reason?"

He didn't look at her. "To ask our teacher about the Philosopher's Stone."

"The truth within the truth," Al added. "We never did end up figuring out what it was."

"Even though we spent nearly two weeks cooped up in that library." Kaela stretched her arms and back with a groan.

"No help from you, though," Ed muttered.

"Our teacher might know something about it." Al continued, ignoring the two snarking at each other.

"We can't afford to be concerned about appearances. We have to be ready for Teacher to kill us, and ask her …" Ed's face fell. "Ask her … ask her …" Winry could practically see the tears that streamed from the three's eyes. "Our lives have been short, huh?"

"I wish I could have at least found a girlfriend." — "I wanted to be able to beat Lieutenant Hawkeye in a match of chess!"

"What kind of teacher do you have …?" Winry mumbled, mostly to herself.

"Anyway, Win," Kaela began, clearing her throat. "Tell us about Rush Valley."

"I'm so glad you asked!" Winry exclaimed with a beam, apparently having already forgotten about the serious discussion they were previously having. Kaela smiled as she half listened to her sister, half watched her sister's enthusiasm annoy Ed to no end. Ed shot Kaela a look as if to ask 'why would you do this,' but Kaela could only shrug and grin. The way her sister became animated and excited over automail was endearing. It was soothing, it was calming, it was familiar. It was something Kaela had missed and would miss again once they parted ways after their trip.

After a while, Winry and Ed started bickering, and Al tried to pacify their arguments. Kaela felt something in her heart, something akin to nostalgia, but in a strange way. It was hard to describe, but the feeling mitigated the unease in her stomach, and that was enough for her.

* * *

 **Woohoo! End of the chapter! It's only around 4.5 thousand words, though, so it wasn't too hard to read ...**

 **REPLIES!:**

 **G4m3rG1rl365: Wow, that's a high honor! I appreciate such high praise! If I'm going to be honest, I worry sometimes that the chapters are too long, but I remember that I can blow through about 20K myself if I'm feeling the book. Saying that the chapters aren't boring kind of allays that fear. Thank you so much for reading!**

 **GaaraDeservesToBeHappy: Hmmmm~?! I was thinking about keeping it a secret for a while longer, but I'm really bad at suspense... He's one of my faves, so I felt the need to make him part of Kaela's story. Thanks for reading!**

 **Anon "Annoyed": I'm sorry you felt this way. I actually thought about this before I created the story, but in my opinion, I get a little peeved the other way around. I just never hear anyone else call their sibling "Brother" or "Sister" to their face, only pet names or nicknames that relate to a sibling bond (like "bro" or "sis/sissy"), so I thought it would be better to stick with "Nii-san" since that's how it is in the Japanese version, which I am following to the letter. _If more people have a problem with this, I will definitely consider changing it_. Until then, I'll stick to what I have been doing. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, either way!**

 **Anon "Drogons": Thank you for reading, and thank you for the review!**


	9. The Miracle at Rush Valley

**I have heard your cries! And thus, I have brought forth, as requested, the next chapter!**

* * *

The Miracle of Rush Valley

* * *

Rush Valley was a barren, dusty land with only the most sparse of vegetation. The plateaus surrounding the town cast large shadows over the majority of the town. However, despite the seeming emptiness of the biome around it, the town itself was full of life. It was as if a festival were going on, with brightly painted buildings and strings of flags hanging between them to create an air of celebration. Large crowds pushed lazily through the wide streets, and vendors called out their merchandise with gusto.

It was enough to make Kaela feel a little claustrophobic.

While the jostling of people around her made Kaela start to sweat, her sister jumped up and down with joy, chanting the town's name unabashed. Winry scurried from one person to the next, gushing over each person's unique automail.

Kaela reached out weakly. "Hey, Win, maybe you shouldn't —"

"Automail!"

Kaela could only groan. Next to her, Ed glared at the jumping girl with irritation, and Al's eyes were glowing faintly behind him. "Winry, you're causing a scene."

Winry finally whipped around to look at her sister, a blue fire lit in her eyes. "I don't care! This is a once in a lifetime chance, and I may never come back here!" Something else caught her eye, and she took off running. "It's the Gods '11 model!"

Kaela could only watch as her sister bounced further and further away, with the boys barely keeping up with her boundless energy.

"That's the holy land for automail, for you," Al said with only a tinge of exasperation. The four walked through the streets, allowing Winry to stop occasionally and babble about a specific piece of metal or wirework. "This place is bustling!"

"You could say that again. It's practically a carnival for gearheads." Kaela groaned as she noticed her sister run off again.

"I just don't know why we're here in the heat and look at automail," Ed spit. "We should have left Winry behind and went straight to Dublith."

Kaela elbowed him in the ribs. "It's not nice to talk about someone who isn't properly able to listen," she sniffed when Ed gave her a bewildered look. True enough, Winry, who had returned to their side, had appeared to not hear anything Ed had said.

"You there, do you have a second?" A voice from the crowd called out. Suddenly, there was a crowd forming around Ed, mostly old men, which was examining Ed's arm thoroughly. "What an unusual model of automail."

"Really … Everyone, come here!"

And then there was a swarm. Kaela earlier dizziness evolved into full-on nausea. There were too many people, with practically no way out. Her mind went fuzzy, and the only thing she could do was to go against the grain of people and find a hole through the crowd. Ed's cries for help fell on her deaf ears as she finally found an opening, along with the blurry forms of Winry and Al.

"Kaela!" Al rushed toward her, arms thrust in front of him to catch her before her knees gave out. With his firm, cold hands under her arms, Kaela took the moment to breathe, gasping for the air she couldn't find in the mass of people "I'm sorry. I forgot; you aren't good with crowds."

"It's … fine."

"Kae!" Winry jogged over to Kaela, who had finally stopped dry heaving. "Al, what do you mean she's not good with crowds? I've never heard of this!"

"Well, that's because it's fairly open range at home, and there isn't a lot of people around either. Central isn't bad either, because we usually pick a street that isn't crowded, or we'll go at a time when no one it around. It seems though that Rush Valley is crowded everywhere we go."

Winry's face fell, and Kaela knew immediately what she was thinking. She patted Al's arm, and he helped her onto her feet. "It's not your fault, Win … I wanted to see the automail … just as much as you."

It was a lie, and all three of them knew it. Winry opened her mouth to say something, but the crowds had come to sweep both her and Al away. This left Kaela to fall to her knees and catch her breath.

"Woah, you look pretty out of it," Ed said, towering over her for once. "Our stoic Michaela Rockbell, on her ass and looking sicker than a dog."

Kaela shot him a look, still breathing a little heavy. "Har … har …"

Ed crouched down, and for some reason, Kaela's mind pointed out to her that he didn't have a shirt on. Weird. "Seriously, are you good? You weren't looking too good when we got here, either."

She looked away, focusing on Winry's laugh instead of Ed's concerned stare. "I'll be fine, once we get out of this damned town."

He stayed crouched for a few moments longer, trying to read her, before huffing and standing up. He began adjusting his belt. "This is why I hate automail engineers," he muttered. His hands roamed his pockets out of habit. His hands roamed some more. He frantically patted his pants. "Huh?"

"What's wrong?" Kaela asked, standing and dusting herself off. Winry and Al were looking over from their respective crowds, too.

" … It's gone," Ed muttered, sweat visibly trickling down his face.

"What is?" The other three simultaneously asked. Ed pulled out his pockets, revealing the bareness of them.

"The thing that proves I'm a State Alchemist. My silver watch is gone!"

Winry and Al began screaming, but Kaela could only groan even more. Could this day get any worse?

"That must be the work of Paninya," one of the men, the one with a monocle, said nonchalantly.

The three stopped their fretting for a moment. "Paninya?"

"A pickpocket that targets tourists as her marks." Another older man with a bald head and a towel around his neck informed them.

"Do you know where she might be?" Ed asked, still a little panicked.

"We'll tell you …" — "But in return …"

What could they want? Money? Kaela knew they didn't have a lot of money on them right now. She almost reached out to grab Ed's shoulder and pull him away when the old men beat her to the punch.

"Show us your automail again!"

Ed did as requested, but threatened them with a murderous gaze and an alchemized blade on his forearm. The two began sweating, instantly regretting their request and rotated about-face, pointing toward a trail of plateaus.

"The shop of an automail engineer named Dominic!"

* * *

A while later, the group of friends found themselves traipsing the supposed path to the engineer's home. The sun blazed down on them, smiling all the more while it practically squeezed all of the moisture out from their bodies. Ed had stuck to keeping off his outer layer of clothing, and Kaela had unbuttoned the dress shirt she had donned the morning before all the way down to the third button (which Ed had commented earlier to be, once again, "highly unprofessional" for Michaela). All except Al slumped over as they walked, unable to wipe the grin from the sun's face.

"They said he lives deep in the mountains," Winry mumbled, "because he can get high-quality ore out here. Is this really the right way? They didn't trick us, did they?"

"This is all because you wanted to go see that town, you know?" Ed uttered loud enough Winry just barely heard him.

The two quarreled a little bit more as they rounded a bend of the plateau. From here, the view was far more splendid and far more extended. Another plateau hid it well, but there was a bridge over the canal about half a mile away. On the bridge, Kaela could just make out a jogging figure …

"Will you two shut up for a single moment?" Kaela snapped, whacking them both on the head. After both of them complained at her being too forceful, Kaela point toward the running figure. "Look over there. Isn't that her?"

The woman stopped, as if she had heard them from that distance, and turned to face them. The sun's beams refracted off of something silver in her hand.

Ed's face turned into one of a murderous demon. "Found you!" His blue alchemy crackled as he slammed his hands on the ground and made a path of earth to the bridge. As his chase ensued, Kaela and Al could only look at each other and sigh. Ed jumped into things all too often, and there wasn't anything either of them could do to stop him

"I guess we gotta go after them," Kaela huffed.

"If only he'd learn to slow down," Al added with a groan.

As they ran along Ed's fabricated path, with Winry tagging along behind, they watched him create a wall from rock and hands from the sand to try and catch Paninya, only for him to fail to her litheness. She didn't seem to feel too threatened, even with Ed's scary face showing. The girl just kept laughing and laughing, much to Ed's annoyance and frustration.

Al and Kaela finally made their way around the battle and stood in Paninya's blind spot behind her. They quickly went to work. She didn't notice the two, and instead taunted Ed from higher ground. "Come on, come on! You're starting to breathe hard!"

Kaela patted Al's back, noticing a familiar blonde striding near them. "You handle this. I'll get Win out of here." He nodded after a moment's hesitation.

While Al's blue alchemy sizzled behind her, Kaela dashed forward and grabbed Winry's arm. Winry yelped in surprise, but let herself be dragged along behind a rock. Kaela jabbed a finger in her sister's chest, but, before she could chastise Winry about walking into the heat of battle, a bellowing shot echoed behind her. Kaela whirled around to see Paninya's knee smoking, the obvious traces of metal inside the hole of her pant leg.

"I have a 1.5 culver in my left leg." With that, Paninya seized the chance to run around the makeshift cage Al had created earlier.

"Wait!"

"Heehee! Just try and catch me!" Paninya barely had time to wink before her neck connected with soft skin and fell backward onto her rear. Her ocean blue eyes screwed up in pain before looking up to see a petite girl with dusty gray hair reaching her shoulders and eyes the color of the finest automail standing above her with a disapproving expression.

"Nice clothesline, Kaela!" Ed called. "Don't let her get away!"

"Pfft, as if." Kaela rolled her eyes, rubbing her elbow. "Besides, I don't think she can, anyway, what with Winry practically salivating over her legs."

Winry had sprinted over upon seeing Paninya gun pop out of her leg, eyes sparkling in an oddly familiar way. She grabbed a hold of Paninya's hand, a creepy smile overtaking her features. "We won't let you go … not until you let me have a closer look at your automail!"

Al and Ed nearly tripped. Kaela blew a raspberry.

Paninya stared at Winry for a minute, making Kaela wary as to what her next move would be. However, the tanned girl grinned. "Sure, why not? Come on over to Dominic's. He's the one who made my legs."

"Really?" As the two began a friendly conversation along the path whence Paninya had been traveling in the first place, the other three exchanged dumbfounded looks.

"I'm not really sure what just happened, but we should probably go after them," Al said before the two disappeared from sight.

"Probably …" Ed mumbled as they jogged to catch up with the girls.

It wasn't that far from there to reach Dominic's place. Paninya led them through the plateaus along a winding path to a small house atop one of the flats. It had a different feeling from the rest of Rush Valley, but it was welcoming nonetheless.

Before Paninya could knock on the door, it was instead opened from the other side by a young, heavier woman. Upon a second glance, Kaela could tell right away that the woman wasn't overweight but rather very, very pregnant. Her dark eyes widened with surprise and smile crept up her face. "Paninya!"

Behind the woman, a young bespectacled man dressed in an apron, who seemed to be her husband, peeked over her shoulder. "Are these your friends?"

"Not exactly …" Paninya grinned, though her brows knit together with unease. The young couple exchanged a look before the pregnant woman smiled again.

"Well, come in!" She waved the strange group in, to which they hesitated until Paninya finally walked through the doorway.

Winry wasted no time sitting Paninya down on a random crate lying in the middle of the room, hastily pulling up both pant legs while Paninya barely had time to sit. The brothers and Kaela looked on with drained expression. As Winry babbled on about mechanical jargon that Kaela understood less than anyone else there, Ed attempted to cut in about more important matters. "Uh, about my watch …"

Unfortunately, Paninya was a little busy looking extremely uncomfortable while Winry began rubbing her face against the metal of Paninya's shin. Al patted his brother's slumped shoulder. "It's no use, Brother.'

"I really respect you for being able to make automail like this," Winry said as she danced over to the pregnant woman's husband.

But the man put his hands up in rejection. "I'm not the one who made this," he said politely. Then who did? Kaela squinted at the finely-tuned automail that were Paninya's legs. There was no doubt that whoever did was a master engineer. And sure, the man looked a little young to have made something so high-quality

"I am." Kaela's head turned at the sound of the gruff voice. A large man, probably in his fifties by looks of his wrinkles and graying hair, leaned on the doorway to the workshop. He glanced down at Ed without another word and lifted up his arm. "Can I have a look?"

"Sure."

After tinkering around with the arm, the older man asked, "Isn't this a little bit heavy?" Winry replied with a sheepish affirmation. "It's no good to place a strain on your outfitee. That's why this guy is so small!"

Kaela nearly gasped, surprised at the man's frankness and preparing for an outburst from Ed. Sure enough, Ed yelled shrilly about the comment but paused after the innate response. He leaned forward "So if these were made lighter, I would grow taller?"

"It's possible."

"Oh! So it's actually Winry who is at fault. What a turn of events," Kaela whispered to Al with a grin. Al snorted, whilst Ed was somewhere in dreamland fantasizing about … well, Kaela didn't really want to know.

It really made her think, though. Out of their group, Kaela and Ed were the shortest, with Ed standing at barely an inch taller at the moment. Winry had hit her growth spurt early, so she had grown taller than Kaela once they both hit puberty. Al had always been the giant; he was called beanpole for while at school because he was taller than most of his classmates. It was hard to imagine Ed getting any taller, but if he did, Kaela wasn't sure she'd entirely be happy about it.

She had always been pretty small, especially when they were younger and she was easily pushed down. Winry was always ready to beat the people who thought it was funny up, but it was no use. With skinny limbs and nearly a head shorter than everyone else, it was easy to push her down by accident. Ed being as short as Kaela made her feel better about her petite frame, but he was still considerably larger than her in bulk.

"Mr. Dominic!" Winry called, interrupting Kaela's thoughts. Her sister bowed with a determined look on her face. "Please, take me as your apprentice!"

"No." The older man said it quite easily, which caused Winry's shoulders to sag and her face to grow pale.

"If you would take some time to consider …,"

"Shut up. I don't take apprentices."

Ed brought his hands together as if to plead and presented his best smile (which Kaela found terrifying with how different it was from his usual demeanor). "Could you at least teach her how to make automail so that I can grow taller?"

"Shut up, _water flea_." Dominic turned his head away from both of them. He stood up and walked out of the room with a 'harumph', leaving Ed to collapse on the ground from shock.

"Sorry about that," the young man said from his place at the tool bench. "My old man can be pretty stubborn. Winry's head still drooped. The man gave her a wry smile before turning his attention to the window. "It looks like it's about to rain."

"No way." Kaela glanced to the same window, only to notice the gray clouds threatening to spill their contents. "It was sunny when arrived here just less than an hour ago."

The man, Ridel, grinned. "Funny how the weather does that." He glanced over at Winry before continuing. "Tell you what. Why don't you four stay the night? Maybe you can change my old man's mind in the meantime."

"Are you sure?" Kaela quirked a brow. "We wouldn't want to intrude."

"It's fine! Besides, I doubt my wife would allow you to even step foot out in the rain."

"Thank you very much!" Kaela and Al bowed, with Winry bending her back a second later. Ed stayed on the floor, mumbling something strange.

"No problem. If you want, there is a guest room down the hall that you can rest in. I have a feeling it will rain through the night."

"Thank you again." Al picked up Ed off the floor by his collar, giving the man a semblance of a smile through his eyes.

"You guys go on ahead," Winry said, with only a hint of dejection in her voice. "I want to talk to Mr. Ridel some more about his and Mr. Dominic's work."

Kaela and Winry made eye contact for a moment. For once, Kaela couldn't quite get a read on her sister, which usually only happened the other way around. But, perhaps, Winry herself wasn't sure what she was feeling. Kaela just hoped it would pass soon and Winry would be her usual smiling self.

"Alright, we'll leave you to it."

Kaela walked side-by-side with Al as they walked down the hall that Ridel directed them to. Ed was mumbling again, apparently about being a water flea, while he let Al drag him across the hardwood floor.

Instead of arriving at a guest room, they first happened upon a dining room, where Satella, the pregnant woman, sat in a wooden chair looking lovingly down at her swollen belly. Al let Ed drop as he approached her. "You're having a baby, right?"

Satella looked up without any surprise that Al was there. Then again, you could hear Al moving from across the house. "That's right."

"Would it be alright if I touched your tummy?" Al seemed a little nervous, but Satella smiled up at him, no traces of hesitation found on her face. Ed stood up with an expression of interest and passed Kaela to crouch down in front of the woman.

"Go ahead."

Al placed a careful hand on her stomach, his eyes glowing brighter as he made a sound of awe. Satella reached out toward Ed, who hesitantly put his hand in hers, and placed his hand on her stomach. Al and Ed looked up blankly for a few moments, eyes wide and jaws slightly slack. Then they removed their hands, with hand opening his mouth to finally speak coherently.

"It feels miraculous somehow."

"Yeah. To think we were once in Mom's tummy like this, too." Kaela smiled. It was nice to see the boys letting their guards down for once.

Al didn't stop staring at Satella's stomach, but Ed scanned the room until he found Kaela a few feet behind him. He motioned her over, saying, "Come here."

Unsure of what was to happen, she reluctantly moved forward, but before she even crouched next to him, Ed grabbed her hand and placed it on Satella's stomach. Kaela unknowingly flushed at the sudden movement but forgot all about Ed's hand in seconds when she thought she felt something shift under her fingers. She sucked a breath in through her nose, unaware of Ed's hand still on top of hers.

There was a _baby_ in there. Sure, Kaela was a medical genius and understood pregnancy from conception to birth, but it had never really sunk in that life could be formed from a simple act. There was a living, breathing child encased under a few layers of skin and fat.

It dawned on Kaela that _she_ was at one point like this. She was at one point inside a woman's stomach, moving around and causing all sorts of trouble. She was an important life to someone. Her eyes flicked up at Satella for a split second before returning down to her own hand with a frown. Satella seemed to love and cherish her baby. Was Kaela's mother like too? Was she looked upon like she was the full moon on a summer night? Was she carried around a like a prized possession, never to be stolen? _Did her mother love her? Why did she abandon her?_

Ed watched her with a concerned stare.

Suddenly, Satella gasped and contorted her face. Kaela swiftly moved her hand away, as if she had touched a hot iron, and consequently threw Ed's hand back, too. Kaela stood up immediately. "Oh, no … Did I hurt you?" Kaela frantically darted her eyes around the woman's body, habitually checking for symptoms. "Are you okay?"

"No, you didn't do anything," Satella managed out, wincing slightly. "I'm fine. I just think that … my water just broke."

Nobody moved for a few seconds. Then Al and Ed began screaming, running around the room like chickens with their heads' cut off. Kaela exhaled heavily through her nose. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." Sure enough, a stain was beginning to form on the front of her dress, and there was some liquid dripping to the floor. Kaela nodded before standing up.

"Okay. Where is your nearest bedroom?"

"Just over to the left … Hrk!"

"Al!" Kaela whirled around in a slight panic. "I need your help!" Al stopped running around, staring pensively at Satella. He cautiously made his way back over, finally looking at Kaela. "I need you to help me get Satella to the bedroom over there."

"O-okay!"

"Satella," Kaela turned back to the woman, "can you stand?" Only a nod in response. "Alright. We'll be moving you to the room now." Kaela did her best to keep herself calm as she talked both Satella and Al through getting to the bedroom.

"What can I do?" Ed asked, looking a little more than lost.

"Go let everyone know what is happening. Especially Winry." Ed took off quickly, running through the house.

Eventually, everyone had gathered in the bedroom, including Paninya. Al and Kaela had helped Satella onto the bed and tried to make her as comfortable as possible. Dominic entered the room, took one look, and left to fetch a doctor. Ridel had dragged a chair to sit next to his wife, constantly whispering reassurances and questioning her wellbeing.

Kaela paced the room, unsure of what exactly to do. Dominic had gone to town on horseback, but she knew that it had taken the four of them hours to reach Dominic's house from Rush Valley. It wasn't exactly impossible that the doctor wouldn't get there on time for the baby.

As if Satella had heard her thought, she said to her husband with frustration, "Hang on? The baby will come whenever it comes —" Her expression became pained. She began to mumble.

"Hmm? What was that?" Ridel scooted closer. Satella grunted something indecipherable again. Everyone scooted closer.

"It's coming!" She yelped. Suddenly, the room was in chaos. The guys were wigging out, yelling and running around.

Only Winry and Kaela were still. Kaela watched her sister's determined face. "We'll just have to do it!" Winry said above the clamor.

"Do what?"

"Deliver it."

Again, more screams. Ridel piped up. "Have you ever been there when a baby was born?"

"No, but we don't have time to dink around." Winry glanced to the floor, thoughts rolling around her mind. "Everyone, help me out here. We're going to deliver this baby!"

Kaela immediately was at Satella side. Now that the decision was made, she could do what needed to be done. "Okay, Satella," she said pulling up a chair. In the background, Winry began ordering everyone around. "Do you happen to have any painkillers in the house?"

Satella shook her head. "No … we ran out yesterday when Ridel got a sinus headache." Her eyes widened. "Oh, no. Am I going to have to go through all of this pain?"

Kaela shook her head. "Don't worry, you won't. My alchemy is just about as good as medicine itself."

Satella gave her a questioning look. "Alchemy? Isn't that for creation and destruction?"

"Right. However, medical alchemy is a little different. It definitely has destruction and reconstructive process to it, but it's more delicate and time-consuming." Slowly, she placed a hand on Satella's stomach. "I'm going to kill off some of your peripheral nerves to make the pain a little more bearable, and then I will reconstruct them once the baby is out. I can't destroy all of them, because that would make it hard to feel any pain at all. In this situation, you need to be able to tell us when your feeling pain."

Kaela clapped her hand softly and placed them down on Satella's belly, never stopping her explanation to Satella. A light green glow erupted from her hands. As she worked, Kaela noticed Satella's face shine with a thick layer of sweat, which was beginning to mirror Kaela's own. After everyone had dropped everything off, Ridel was the only one to stay in the room.

He looked up while he clasped his wife's hand, watching the energy crackle from Kaela's fingers. "Edward told me about you."

"Did he?" Kaela let out a huff from both exhaustion and humor. "Good things, I hope?"

"Yes. He talked about how Winry was raised by doctors and was probably the best person out there who isn't a qualified doctor to do this, but he said that you were the genius here, and if anything should go wrong, you'd be able to fix it."

Kaela snorted, looking up from her work. Ridel looked wary, but she saw a flash of trust in there. "That's high praise, coming from his mouth." She sighed, glancing over at Satella to make sure she was still conscious before returning her focus to her work. "I'm not a genius, but I can guarantee I will make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible. Your baby will make it."

It was a long time before Ridel nodded and turned back to his wife.

* * *

Ed burst into the room, with Al close behind him. He crouched down to where Winry was collapsed on the ground, worry coloring his face. "What's going on?'

Winry was panting too hard to say anything. She pointed at the bed without saying anything. Ed followed her gaze, dread filling his stomach like acid. But when he saw the pink baby whimpering in his parents' arms, relief flooded through him like an ocean. Ridel and Satella noticed them, and the new father lifted his baby up with a mixture of excitement and exhaustion.

"We-We did it!" The brothers yipped and danced around. Winry looked up, a smile crossing her face. "Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!"

Kaela smirked at him while he bickered with her sister. At this point only, adrenaline was keeping her awake as she worked to repair the nerves. She'd only finished an hour before the baby was born, and she had been too anxious to take a nap.

The crackling under her fingers became soothing. Just a little more. Then she could nap. Her eyes drooped. Ed's hand was on her shoulder. It kind of hurt. Voices were getting muffled. Her skin felt tingly. Ed was shaking her shoulder, yelling something with fear in his golden eyes.

Her hands slid from Satella's stomach, and Kaela allowed her shoulders to slump and for her body sink into her chair. Slowly, she slipped in and out of consciousness. At some point, she thought she was being carried by, but only one of the arms was metal. She sank even deeper into the person's warmth, allowing herself to fall back asleep.

* * *

When Kaela finally woke up, her whole body ached. Groaning, she sat up and massaged her throbbing temples. "Urk. It's what I get for going past my limits."

After a few moments of getting her bearing, Kaela realized she was actually in Satella and Ridel's bedroom. A few pictures lined the shelves and dresser, along with a cradle at the foot of the bed. Kaela smiled, remembering the baby. Now that she was up, she might as well go and visit it.

Swinging her legs from the bed, she stood up, only to fall back down with a crash. "Argh …" Kaela rubbed her legs, kneading her spent muscles. The door opened to reveal Al, who was instantly by her side.

"What happened?" Al fussed. "Did you trip? Did you break anything?"

"No … No, I'm fine. I'm just really tired. I'm going to sleep well tonight." She grinned. "Speaking of which, how long was I out?"

"No long, actually. Maybe half an hour or so. The doctor came while you were out. He's in there now."

"Oh, good." Kaela sighed. "It's fantastic that the professional is here. He can make sure we didn't mess up."

"I can't tell if you're being serious or not."

Kaela snorted and placed a hand on one of the pauldron spikes. "Probably both. Now, can you help me up? I'm not sure if I can walk by myself."

"Are your legs okay? I didn't see you move from your chair or anything. Did you use to much alchemy?" Al helped her up, keeping a firm yet gentle hand on her upper arm in case her legs gave out again.

"Yeah.. I have to take from my own body sometimes, which is what I did when rebuilding her nerves. Usually, it isn't this intense, like when Ed was in the hospital last week, but we didn't have a lot of time. I wanted to have her nerves heal quickly."

"You need to stop doing that, Kaela," Al said, looking down at her with a dim glow.

"Stop what?" They paused in from of the guest bedroom's door. Al turned to face her.

"It's one thing if Brother gets hurt fighting somebody else. That's him being reckless and stupid. It's his own fault." Al gripped her other arm with his loose hand. "But when you go out of your way to sacrifice your wellbeing for someone else, it's different. We don't like watching you hurt yourself for something you think is more important than your own life. Including us."

Kaela's eyes widened.

"It doesn't exactly happen all that often, and it's been awhile since something like that has happened, but it happens enough that Brother and I have spoken about it. We'd rather you stay at home with Winry and Granny, but we know you'd refuse. We want you to be happy, to live your own life, and to grow up and start your own family, but we know you'd beat us up if we asked you to. So, please … just take care of yourself. I know Brother wanted to say this, too."

There was a large lump of cotton in her throat. It had always been in the back of her mind; she was just as reckless as Ed. That wasn't the issue, though. Whereas Ed had a goal to live for to strive for, Kaela's wish to tag alongside him and Al was half-baked and formed from her own insecurities and guilt. If she died, she suspected it wouldn't be as big of a deal to her. After all, _she_ was the one who let them do the ritual.

But what Al just said to her pierced her heart. They had noticed her reckless abandon, and had known that wasn't her style. Kaela was a collected person who calculated her actions thoroughly. So when she started jumping into dangerous and taxing situations without a second thought, they had known something was wrong.

"I-I'm sorry." Kaela swallowed the cotton and swallowed her feelings. Getting emotional now would shatter her facade of permanent composure. "I'll be more careful. I won't worry you anymore."

"Good. Now let's go see the baby!"

Al released her arms and opened the door. Everyone inside was circled around Satella and her baby. When Kaela stepped inside, both Winry and Ed glanced over. Kaela thought she saw some tension leave Ed's shoulders once they made eye contact, but she could have just as easily imagined it.

Just as Al had said, the doctor had arrived and was currently inspecting the baby. "Mother and baby are doing just fine. Postnatal treatment has also been appropriate." He turned to look at Ed and Winry who was standing a ways away. "Being present for labor is something even adults freak out over."

"Oh, well, we were desperate!" Winry flailed her arms around.

"We are in your debt. Especially the young lady." Everyone was really surprised at Dominic's comment. He bowed from his seating position. "Thank you."

"Please, no need to be formal!" Winry looked like she might pass out on the spot.

Ed snapped his fingers and circled around Dominic with a smug grin, who ignored him. "What do you say? Why don't you take on an apprentice, just this once?"

"This doesn't have anything to do with that." Dominic turned his head away from Ed, who was getting a little too close for his like. "I still don't take on apprentices. But …" He stood up, a slight flush reddening his cheeks. "If you insist, I can refer you to an accomplished engineer."

Satella and Ridel exchanged a look as Dominic began to walk out of the room. Winry stood shell shocked until he passed her by. "Um, would it be okay if I came by once in awhile to watch you work?"

" … If you came by once in a while to see my grandson, that would be okay." Dominic scratched his head without looking at anyone. "Same goes for the tomboy there, too."

Paninya's eyes rounded before a smile crept onto her face.

* * *

"Let's go!" Kaela called as she sprinted after the train that had already begun to leave without them.

"If we miss this one, the next train to Dublith won't be for three days!" Ed said behind her. As they ran behind Al, who was preparing to jump onto the train that was quickly picking up speed, Winry and Paninya jogged behind them.

"Be careful!" Winry called. Al jumped onto the train deck, and pulled Kaela on once she jumped after him. Ed threw Al his trunk, which Al deftly caught.

"You, too!" The three of them shouted back. At the last minute, Ed jumped from the edge of the platform, where Kaela and Al caught both of his arms and pulled him up. "Make sure you call Granny!"

"Your one to talk!" Winry yelled back with a tinge of frustration. Kaela snorted.

"Make sure you steal all that old man's techniques and make me something better the next time we meet, okay?!" The three of them waved to the two girls and waited until the train rounded th bend before entering the car and finding some seats.

Kaela sat down with a huff next to Ed. "Who would've thought she'd have stayed?"

"She's pretty passionate about automail," Ed said. "I would have been more surprised if she had left."

"Right, but I'm worried she'll get worried about Granny, or get homesick in general."

"Don't worry." Ed turned in his seat and placed his feet right next to Kaela's legs, leaning up against the window to watch her. "She's going into this with a strong will. She'll stay."

Al's words from earlier returned to her. Even Winry's resolve wasn't half-baked, unlike Kaela's. She closed her eyes. She needed to do some serious soul searching. Maybe going back to Dublith would help.

Something bothered her. "What changed her mind? Last I knew, she was pretty much resigned to going home without trying again."

"Ah …" Ed cleared his throat and looked at the ground. A blush was forming on his cheeks. "I'm not quite sure. Winry just all of the sudden wanted to try again. It has nothing to do with me."

Kaela gave him a dubious look. Yeah right. Something was up, and it made her stomach churn for some reason to think about Ed blushing over her sister, but she decided it was best to ignore that whole situation.

She closed her eyes again, waiting for sleep to drown out those unfamiliar and threatening thoughts. Tomorrow, they'd be in Dublith, and she'd have bigger things to worry about than the gnawing hole in her stomach that had been growing recently.


	10. One is All, All is One

**Okay, so I will apologize now. I know I constantly say I am busy (which I am, considering I'm a high school senior with a job and a** **lot** **of hobbies), but I really have been busy. January through late March is always rough every year, with music competitions and more difficult lesson plans in school. Not to mention this** _ **college business**_ **that I have been sifting through.**

 **I have been trying to follow your suggestions, but I'm sure it's still not up to par. If you guys have any more, feel free to let me know! As long as it is a glaring plot or character problem, a grammatical issue, or something entirely different that multiple people find unconventional, I will be ready to make changes!**

 **That being said, enjoy this chapter! We'll start out with a little bit of tsundere fluff, hmm?**

* * *

One is All, All is One

* * *

The remnants of a reoccurring dream faded away as the whistle of the train roused Kaela from her sleep. The burning feeling on her skin became a slight tingle, and then nothing more.

She became acutely aware of the fabric on her cheek and the familiar metallic scent along with the warmth against her head. Feeling a little awkward, Kaela tried to maneuver away from Ed, but to no avail. He was a lot heavier than he looked, and she felt that if she tried to move back any further, they would both topple under his weight. Kaela reluctantly gave up and settled back in Ed's warmth.

Her eyes flicked up to Al, who was looking out the window. Pity settled in her stomach, already accustomed to its surroundings. Kaela knew more than anyone, except for Ed, that Al desperately wanted to sleep. He hadn't shut his eyes once in the last three and a half years. It was nice to have someone stand guard while she and Ed slept, but Al was human, too.

Sensing her iron gaze, Al turned to look at her and promptly began chuckling. Kaela scowled.

"What's so funny, Al?" She said, venom lacing her syllables. She knew exactly why he was laughing

"Hah … you just looked so much different when you were asleep. Your face was really peaceful," he said, letting out one last stifled laugh. "But, now, I get the feeling you would rather suckerpunch me than be in that position."

"And bruise my knuckles? No way."

However, Kaela's disgruntled expression must have given her true thoughts away as Al playfully moved his hands to guard his stomach, before softening. "It reminded me of when we were kids."

The memories of the three of them (occasionally four when Winry came to visit them while they learned alchemy) taking naps in the brothers' father's study. It was almost tradition that they would throw their books down and take a nap when the sun began to cast a certain shadow around noon. Kaela smiled a little.

The pressure against her head began to nuzzle closer to her with a quiet groan, causing Al to cover his mouth as his shoulders bounced up and down with quiet glee.

All this was too much for Kaela. With a burning heat on her cheeks that seemed to be occurring more and more often lately, she shoved Ed off of her, and his head banged into the window loudly. A deep grunt of pain escaped Ed's mouth as his eyelids fluttered open to reveal alert eyes. Was he … this whole time? No, that wasn't like Edward Elric. He would have pushed her away, first.

He glared up at Kaela, rubbing the back of his head where a bump was probably forming. "What was that for, Kae?"

" … you were too close …" It was all Kaela could manage out, for some reason. If he really was asleep the whole time, she didn't want to admit she was willingly snuggled up against him.

Al nodded. It would have been almost sagelike if he hadn't snorted at the same time. "She's right, Brother."

"What? It's not my fault she fell asleep on _me_."

Kaela's eyes widened a fraction before narrowing. "Then why didn't you wake me up? Or at least push me off?"

"Be-Because, you … looked like you needed the rest! You didn't exactly sleep at all last night." Ed's eyes darted away, the tint to his cheeks matching her own.

Suddenly, Kaela felt guilty again. She was panicking over nothing. Ed was right; she'd only gotten around an hour of sleep the night before, what with the baby and all. And despite how much of a butt-head Ed could be, he wasn't so much of one that he would shove off a sleeping friend. Besides, this had happened before when they were stuck in places without any inns or rooms available. Ed probably just thought it was normal and didn't think anything of it.

It was her own internal problem that Kaela had to deal with, not Ed's. She was definitely sleep-deprived, or even sick. That was the only explanation to the blushing and the bouncy ball that seemed to be hopping around between her tummy and heart. Kaela just needed some sleep and maybe some medicine. Then, she'd be right in the head again.

Changing the topic, Kaela glanced back to Al. "How much longer until we reach Dublith?"

"Well," Al began, looking back out the window. "Since we got on the train yesterday afternoon and you two slept through some of the night, we are about halfway there. It's only midnight, though, so you should go back to sleep."

Kaela frowned but didn't make eye contact with Ed, who also refused to clash gold with silver. Clearing her throat, she suggested, " Why don't we switch spots? I can lean against the window, and you won't have to worry about me leaning on you again."

Out of the corner of her eye, Ed nodded. While she stood up, he slid down the bench as far as he could. Kaela sat down, and her hip grazed the window to let her know its location. The heat Ed had left was soothing, though she wouldn't admit it even to herself. Her focus blurred before she closed her eyes and leaned against the window, immediately lulled by the white noise of the train.

"G'night, Al," she mumbled. "G'night, Ed"

The boys muttered back their own responses, which she barely heard.

The darkness pulled her back in, and the burning sensation returned.

* * *

Kaela decided it would be best if she held onto George for the time being. Knowing what the brothers' teacher could be like, it was the safest option for the kitten. Al was a little reluctant; he enjoyed George making a home in his chest cavity, but, when Kaela brought up the danger Al could expose him to if George was kept inside the atrium, the kitten was handed over without a word.

Dublith was more of a suburb than a town. The station was its central feature, as nothing else was interesting in a fifty-mile radius. Kaela still felt as though she was in the outer ring of Central, with closely spaced houses and trees sparsely lined wherever possible.

"We're finally here, huh?" Ed exhaled in an attempt to hide his shallow and uneven breathing. His companions grunted their responses. They stood in front of a butchery with a newly painted, red door and a sign that signaled the shop to be open.

"It would be nice if Teacher wasn't home, huh?" Ed asked rhetorically. Kaela and Al nodded. Even though Izumi wasn't technically Kaela's alchemy teacher, as Kaela had never been able to transmute anything beyond the body, she had still lived with the Curtis' for seven months, including the month when Al and Ed had to survive on an island with nothing but the clothes on their back. She knew how … intense Izumi could be.

Heavy footsteps neared from beyond the door. Kaela held her breath as she prayed that, whichever Curtis decided to answer the door, for he or she to be in a good mood. George mewled in her hands, seeming to try and comfort her with a soft nudge to her chin. The door creaked open, and a bloody knife held by a giant's hand jutted out.

While Ed and Al jumped back in shock, Kaela sighed with relief when she realized it was Sig and not his wife who emerged from the dark doorway. His eternally angry face glared down on them, sizing them up.

"H-Hi there …" Ed and Al attempted to smile.

"Long time no see …."

"Hello, Sig."

The big man wasted no time in recognizing the trio, putting the knife in the pocket of his apron and patting Ed's and Kaela's heads with enormous hands. He gave Kaela's hair an extra ruffle. "Long time no see. You've both grown."

Ed sent Kaela a desperate look and whispered, "He's crushing me."

She rolled her eyes and endured Sig's display of affection. George batted at Sig's wrist whenever it maneuvered his way.

"Um, it's me, Alphonse," Al said, pointing at himself. Sig looked up at him, ceasing to rub Kaela and Ed's heads. "Excuse us for being away for so long." Al bowed.

Sig removed both hands from Kaela and Ed and instead moved to massage Al's helmet. Unlike his brother, Al looked thoroughly blissful as Sig kneaded the metal. "You've _really_ grown."

Sig kept rubbing Al's head for a few moments longer, then moved to an open window on the left end of the shop. He leaned a large, muscular arm onto the sill and poked his head in, yelling something about "three half-pints."

A familiar voice, both feminine and richly warm, answered back. Al, who could see through the window over Sig's head, told the other two that Izumi was inside lying on a bed. "It's probably because she's not doing so well," Al said in a lowered voice.

Ed turned to face his brother. "I guess she hasn't gotten any better." He sighed with empathy in his eyes.

"Hopefully she is feeling well enough to talk," Kaela whispered back. The moment she ended her sentence, however, the front door swung open, causing all three of them to jump back with a synchronized gasp. Ed was unlucky, as he did not jump to the side when a sandaled foot shot out and landed squarely on the bridge of his nose, sending him flying back across the street.

Stepping back so that she was side-by-side with Sig, Kaela observed Izumi stomp out of the house, scolding Ed with a growl. It was nice to see that she hadn't changed much; Izumi still had fairly smooth skin and bright eyes despite being in her mid-thirties and wore her hair in box braids just as she had nearly six years prior. She also still donned the W. C. sandals that Kaela rarely saw her take off.

Kaela held a squirming George tighter against her chest as she watched Izumi Curtis beat up the brothers with little to no problem. As frail as the master alchemist seemed, what with her sickness and all, Izumi was probably strong enough to take on Armstrong and then some. Kaela still had nightmares about the time Izumi had left her to dangle by a rope tied to a tree over a cliff for twelve hours, saying that it was a lesson of "endurance" and "building character" (how either of those characteristics related to being dangled, Kaela would never figure out).

After tossing Ed and Al around a bit more, Izumi finally turned to Kaela. A hint of affection flickered in Izumi's eyes before she quirked her brow and put on a small frown before she spoke. "Now, who's this? Surely, it can't be Michaela Rockbell; the little girl I trained would have grown into a much bigger woman than this toddler!"

"Unfortunately, I will be forever a midget," Kaela replied, resisting the urge to snort. A smile grew on Izumi's face, contrasting from her scowl only moments earlier.

"As long as you can use that to your advantage." Izumi's words reminded Kaela of the hand-to-hand combat lessons from a long time ago. "As for Ed …" Izumi _harrumph_ ed. "Well, it's his own fault he's still tinier than most boys his age."

Ed made his way over (apparently he hadn't heard Izumi's words from the lack of reaction), testing out his joints and making sure he didn't have any broken bones, and Al sat up from where Izumi had thrown him onto her lawn.

"I thought you weren't feeling well?" Al's voice sounded strained.

"What are you talking about?!" Izumi shouted, nearly knocking the three back from the force of her voice. "Now that you're here, I-"

She paused, mid-sentence and jaw slack, and about half a pint of blood poured from her mouth like a waterfall. Izumi grew paler, and the boys in behind Kaela screamed.

Sig approached his wife from behind, placing a firm yet gentle hand on her shoulder and causing her to turn around in his arms. "You shouldn't overexert yourself."

"Aren't you the concerned one," Izumi flirted, her voice going from starch and shrill to light and emotional. There was also the obvious blush on her cheeks. "Dear!" The two embraced like newlyweds, even though Sig and Izumi had been married for around a decade.

Kaela smiled; she was very used to seeing their interactions with each other, always bumbling around and acting like school children, even though the situation Izumi was in was not the time to be goofing around. Al and Ed, on the other hand, looked very uncomfortable with the open display of affection.

Sig turned his wife around, and he looked over his shoulder to address the trio. "Come inside. I'll make us tea."

They followed Sig inside and traipsed down the hall that looked far larger six years ago. Kaela glanced at the photographs hanging in picture frames on the walls of the house portion of the building. She spotted one of the Curtises and the Elrics, along with an even tinier Michaela Rockbell grasping Sig's hand. Ed was yelling at something off camera while Izumi was preparing to smack him on the head, eyes still facing the lens. Sig looked as neutral as ever; only Al and Kaela were smiling pleasantly.

The corners of her lips pulled as they passed the picture. The nostalgia that wasn't in any way depressing was welcomed. It was far more welcome than the permanent guilt that had not yet surfaced from its dormant state.

Sig led them and Izumi to a table, where they promptly sat down and continued the conversation from outside in a more civil manner. By the time the bear of a man returned with tea and Izumi's medicine, their reason for visiting was already established.

"I don't know much about the Philosopher's Stone," Izumi was saying. She had her arms folded whereas the boys were leaning forward, intent on listening to her counsel. Kaela leaned back, in contrast, sipping the tea Sig had brewed and stroking George's gray fur absentmindedly with the other hand. "I'm not interested in it."

"I see." Ed's shoulders slumped slightly.

"You met that one alchemist in Central before," Sig said after a moment, eyes lingering on the brothers' disappointment. "The one who was pretty knowledgeable about the Stone, right?"

The brothers exchanged anxious looks between themselves and Kaela. She felt a leap in her stomach, though she hid her anticipation better than the boys behind the rim of her teacup. Ed's curiosity practically bubbled from his mouth. "Who is this person?"

"As I recall …" Izumi paused, a crease forming between her eyebrows as she rubbed her chin in thought. "His name was … Hohenheim."

Kaela heard Ed suck in a sharp breath as her stomach churned. A frown formed on her lips, having not heard that name in years. She asked, "Are you sure? It wasn't an alias or something to that effect?"

Izumi only shook her head. "No. I remember thinking how strange his name was, and voiced my thoughts aloud. He confirmed that it was his true name and not a pseudonym." She watched as Ed mumbled something under his breath and clenched his fists with an audible squeeze. "Why? Someone, you know?"

"He's our father," Al supplied when Ed remained silent. Kaela glanced over at her best friend, his eyes wide and yet narrowed, the deep line between his brows and nose, the grinding of his teeth. A fire in his eyes had formed.

She wanted to reach out and comfort him, to simply squeeze his shoulder, but this wasn't the right time. Besides, this wasn't simply anger; it was rage.

"The one that ran out on you?" Izumi cut into Kaela's thoughts, as usual, with brusque and frank words.

"That jerk …!" Izumi's eyes narrowed at Ed's outburst. "It's because of him that Mom is dead! It's because of him!" He fell silent, his gloved hands clenching and unclenching. Ed seemed to be beyond her, beyond anyone at that moment, miles and miles away from the present.

She couldn't help him.

" … What did Dad say about the Stone?" Al asked, deciding it best to leave his brother to his thoughts at the moment.

"Something about his long-held desire coming true." The boys' teacher removed her focus from the steadily boiling pot that was Edward Elric. "He was happy when he said it."

"Did he go into further detail?" Kaela stroked George, knowing she was only straining the tension in the room even more.

But Izumi simply shook her head. "No. He was quite cryptic, and at the time I didn't really care to think too deeply into his words. Besides," she uncrossed her legs, "there wasn't much time to sit around and chat. Sig and I were only visiting Central at the time, and had to run other errands." She stood up and walked over to Ed with a stern scowl. Wordlessly and smoothly, Izumi clouted her former student on the head, earning a shocked yelp and astonished eyes. She put her hands on her hips and leaned forward intimidatingly. "Let's eat!"

Ed stared after her with a sulky expression. "Alright …"

Kaela snorted behind her teacup.

* * *

Later that night, instead of being barren with the exception of teacups, the dinner table was filled with food. Sig had grilled some steak, and Izumi, along with Kaela, had prepared salad, pasta, and some honey buns. Kaela happily scarfed down all of it, not caring whether Izumi and Sig were disgusted by her manners. She hadn't really eaten in the last few days besides an apple she had grabbed at the market just outside the train station earlier this morning. However, when she looked up, Sig and Izumi were eating just as heartily, if not more.

Ed had apparently shaken off his broodiness from their previous conversation at the table. He happily set out to eat as much as possible, having also not eaten for a while. He still thought it would be funny to shove all the cherry tomatoes from his salad onto Kaela's plate (which she absolutely despised), but was deservedly rewarded when she poured milk into his cup upon returning with drinks. Al watched contentedly, smiling at the playful squabble on his side of the table. That is, until Izumi smacked them both on the backs of their heads and they mutter out apologies.

"Are you not eating, Al?" Sig asked, handing a chicken leg to the young boy. Al refused politely, saying he had eaten on the train. Ed paused, apparently just now reminded of the previous day's events.

"Hey, Al, Kaela, remember how we witnessed that child being born in Rush Valley?"

"Oh, yeah, that's right! Teacher, we helped deliver a baby!" Al waved his arms around animatedly as if that would help convey the story more easily. Kaela rolled her eyes.

"You did not deliver the baby; Winry and I did," she said, twirling her fork in her spaghetti.

Ed shrugged. "We helped, though. We got the water, the towels …"

"The whole family helped, and the mother gave everything she had!" Al continued on, ignoring their quips. "Everyone is blessed when a person was born, huh?"

"That's right." Izumi set her teacup down, smiling slightly. "That's how you received your lives. Take pride in your own lives."

The three grinned, continuing to eat dinner in a lighter mood. But Kaela noticed the way Sig turned away from the table, eyes sad and downcast. By the time he noticed Kaela's line of vision on him, though, the sorrow was gone.

After they finished eating, Izumi sent them off to bed with the idea that they would talk more in the morning. Ever the impatient one, Ed grumbled, but Al and Kaela thanked both of their hosts for the place to stay.

"It's not like you don't already have a room of your own here," Izumi said as she left for her bedroom. Sig led the three to their old bedroom in the back of the house. When Kaela went in after the boys, he put a hand on her shoulder.

"You can have a different room," Sig said, nodded at another room down the hall.

"Oh, but I sleep-" She paused for a second, noticing the disapproving glint in his eye and deciding not to finish her sentence. Sig was secretly (not as secretly as he thought, however) very paternal toward her. He probably saw it unfit for her to sleep in a room with two boys, even though she'd been sleeping in the same room as them for almost five years now due to monetary constraints and security reasons. But here, they were safe, and she knew neither Sig nor Izumi was willing to force them to pay for the rooms. So Kaela consented easily. "Alright. 'Night, guys."

Sig shut the door as Ed and Al returned the words. He dropped her off in a room with a single bed, a large window, and bright colored wall decorations. Kaela stepped into the room and turned around, beaming. "Thank you, Sig. It's not very often that I get my own room."

He nodded and patted her shoulder as a silent reply. "Good night."

"Good night, Sig."

Kaela set George onto the floor and flopped onto the bed once the door shut, relishing how comfortable she was in comparison to the wall of the train. She waved her arms against the blanket, feeling the fabric of the comforter on the soft skin between her fingers. She remembered this to be her old room for the six months she stayed here for. She hadn't recognized it at first because the furniture had been moved and the walls had been painted from a pale yellow to a soft tan. The memories from this room were few but still treasured.

Kaela remembered how they had first met Izumi and Sig. Many years ago, Resembool had experienced a time of great flooding. The river at the feet of the rolling hills to the west of the Rockbell and Elric homes overflowed, and the power of man was not mighty enough to hold back a river.

Kaela saw in her mind's eye Izumi and Sig strolling through the storm and toward the river while she, Ed, and Al watched from a river bank off to the side. "A simple housewife," Izumi had said at the time, but Kaela had known from the moment Izumi had clapped her hands together and placed them to the mud that this was not the entirety of the case.

Ed and Al became quickly enthralled by her powerful usage of alchemy, saying how she would be their teacher and promptly begged her to bestow her knowledge onto them. However, Michaela had hung back. She wasn't sure whether the woman before her would be able to show her how to destroy and create when all she had been able to do was heal. Izumi's eyes had found hers as she had begrudgingly approached to pry the brothers from the stranger's limbs quickly discerning the apprehension.

That is why when Kaela attempted to get off the boat and step onto the island with the brothers, Izumi had held her arm back and said, "You will have a different type of training. A different lesson."

Kaela told Izumi about her attempts at regular alchemy. She talked of how she had studied the ingredients of even the mundane and pure objects but had been unable to morph them into something else. However, when placing her gloved hands onto Al's scratched arm the day they had accidentally fallen into the bramble patch, a green light emitted from Kaela's hands, a light that never seemed to electrify the boys' own.

Izumi first had her attempt simple transmutation. She had her recite the ingredients in the rock and the laws of alchemy, but to Izumi's concern and Kaela's furthering disappointment, the green light simply crackled around the rock, the rock's form only changing slightly. Upon the end of the experiment, Izumi had used the sharp edges of the rock she had originally given Kaela and sliced her arm before her temporary student could grasp.

Immediately, Kaela's fingers had closed the cut and soothed the nerves, giving cause for awe (at Kaela's ability to do something hardly any western alchemist could without training) and confusion (as to why Kaela could not do the simpler task of transforming the rock). Izumi's eyebrows had creased before she had placed the rock onto the floor of the dining room floor where they were sitting.

"I don't think your body was made for alchemy," she had said, looking the nine-year-old in the eye.

Kaela's frowned deepened. "But I just did it!"

"Not entirely. It seems your body rejects that which is foreign, but not another's pain."

"What … what does that mean?" Kaela had asked. Her voice had become strained, if not choked.

"It means I have nothing to teach you. What your body rejects is what I have mastered, and what your body has mastered I am entirely unfamiliar with." The girl's shoulders slumped at those words.

"So, you're saying I'm just wasting space by being here."

Izumi took the moment to remain silent, sincerely gauging the girl's question. It wasn't long before she had an answer. "No, that isn't true. I may not be able to teach you alchemy, but I'm skilled in combat, even without the use of alchemy. Sig is also, if not more so." The older woman offered a rare smile, one that Kaela had at the time seen the far depths of her sorrow, despite her youth and ignorance. "Besides, having you around will help keep those unruly boys in their places. They listen to you as if you were the wisest woman in the world."

Kaela giggled slightly, though still a little wary of the hint of sadness still lingering on Izumi's face. "I'm not wise."

"You are wiser than those boys, at least."

Izumi and Sig had done well in teaching her combat, and Kaela was able to best Ed in many matches before their training drew to a close. Al only edged her out by a small amount in each match, and every time he came out just as banged up as she was. Michaela Rockbell was able to leave the Curtis household after half a year with more knowledge and skill than she believed she could possess.

Kaela flexed her hand out now above her head toward the ceiling. It was rare she ever thought about her inability to do what was normal in the field of alchemy since she had made do without it and more. However, there was always that small bit in the back of her mind that whispered murmurs of incompetence and disappointment, and of how she was a failure to those she loved.

It was part of her guilt: not being able to live up to the expectations and standards she had given herself in order to protect those she cared for.

She let her hand fall, the self-loathing for her incompetence and her knowledge that her other skills made up for the lacking area at war with each other. Kaela laid there, staring up at the ceiling and her mind whirling. It wasn't long, though, before sleep finally claimed her.

* * *

The dreams were becoming even more vivid. Kaela awoke with the feeling of being pushed and confined in a small space with a lot of people for a _very_ long time.

That morning, Ed prompted Kaela to hurry and get ready for the day without reason for the rush. She didn't really understand what he was up to, but she noted the concern and tension in his golden eyes, so she dressed quickly and met the boys outside, along with Izumi.

Izumi stood facing the wall of her neighbors' home. Al and Ed watched her for a few moments without speaking while they waited for Kaela to arrive. When she approached behind them, Ed turned and gave her a grim nod, to which she hesitantly returned. Kaela wasn't sure what she was agreeing to, but she trusted her friends.

"So," Izumi suddenly began. " What was it you wanted to speak to me about?"

"Ah … well." Ed looked reluctant, scratching the back of his neck and glancing at the other two beside him.

There was no time for him to react, anyway. Izumi clapped her hands and drew a stave from the wall, and she faced him with a fire in her eyes. Al and Kaela jumped aside, understanding this was not their fight. She swung at Ed, leaving little time for her student to dodge properly, and he raised his arms up. As the polearm kept swinging at him, Ed lost focus, and clapped once, turning his arm into a blade.

That was his mistake.

He cut off the knife of the polearm, sending it to the ground with a dull thud. Teacher and student stared at each other before Izumi spoke.

"Sure enough, you can transmute without a physical matrix," she accused, eyes narrowing even further. Ed's eyes widened. Izumi jerked a finger in his brother's direction "On top of that, Alphonse is an empty suit of armor! One of your legs and one of your arms are automail!"

"Teacher, how did you-"

Izumi slammed the end of her stave into the ground, causing the boys to draw back in fear. Out of the corner of Kaela's eye, she noticed Sig standing in the doorway, his eyes sad.

"I could tell that much from sparring!" Izumi retorted. Her expression softened and hardened at the same time. "You saw it, then?" When Ed didn't answer, she grew angry. "You saw it?!"

"Y-Yes!"

She watched him for a moment, unable to scold him any further, before sighing. "Both master and apprentices are beyond hope." Ed's eyes widened, and he gripped his lost arm.

"Teacher, since you saw it …" He hesitated before continuing.

As interested as Kaela was to find out what was going on, this wasn't the place to have the conversation. Across the street, there were a few bystanders with wandering eyes. Kaela sighed. "Let's take this inside."

Izumi looked to her in surprise, almost forgetting that she was there. But when she followed her former student's gaze, she nodded in agreement. "Come."

They made their way into the dining room. Izumi sat down, and Sig stood behind, ever the silent guardian. The Elrics and Kaela hung back, not feeling it right to sit. Kaela watched as Izumi's face became pained as she remembered.

"The two of us just couldn't seem to have children, you see." Her voice was soft and low, her eyes not quite meeting her charges. "When we were finally able to have one, I grew ill. Our child was unable to be born into this world alive. Which is why …" She paused, inhaling slightly and placing her hand over her stomach. "I committed taboo. As a result, different parts were taken from my insides. I was and am a complete idiot."

The air wasn't tense. It wasn't suffocating. It was just … sorrowful and regretful.

"I should have told you sooner, huh?" Izumi continued after a few moments of quiet. "It must have been painful for you."

Ed gripped his arm and placed a smile on his face. "No! I did it myself after all. I wouldn't say it's been painful or anything like that."

"On the contrary, I'm looking forward to what I'm going to eat, and so on, once I get my body back!" Al added, pulling out his journal.

"Plus, we've had many amazing experiences and made many friends," Kaela said with a grin, though she knew it didn't meet her eyes. "You can't deny that we have had quite the adventure!"

"You idiots." Suddenly, Izumi's arms were around all three of them, squeezing Kaela between the boys and into her teacher's chest. "You don't have to act strong."

Kaela's breath hitched and she placed her arms around Izumi's stomach, burying her head into her collar. She barely registered when Ed and Al did the same.

All this time, they have been putting up facades not only in front of others but themselves as well. It _had_ been hard. The guilt that welled in all three of their hearts was long and deep, filled with dark thoughts that created insecurities and vacillation that heightened with every breath they took. No one had been able to see the claws gripping their hearts, not even themselves. So when their beloved teacher was able to point out their pain, it all came rushing down like pile and piles of rocks, crushing them and their illusion of strength.

They were there, clinging to each other until Ed and Kaela fell asleep from exhaustion.

* * *

 **We are almost to the end of Part 1! I'm super excited, as Part 1 is really focused on the beginning of Ed and Al's story and establishing Kaela's character and her relationship to the others. After that, More original content than canon will happen! I know that a lot of you have said it is a little redundant, which I completely understand and tried to work around, but from the next few chapters on, it will be fairly different!**

 **Review time!**

 **Meleesha: I'm so happy you like her! She's a pretty unique person, but I have modeled her after one of my friends, who has a similar personality to what I was imagining. Most of her traits, though, have come from her past. And to address the "word-to-word" aspect, I tried finding ways to skip over some of the less impacting conversations, but I still would prefer to keep original conversations in the fic. They are important to the boys' growth, which is mainly what the story is about. After the next few chapters, though, things will be very different.**

 **FireyLionheart18: I can't express to you how much I appreciate this review. It's very constructive and gives reasons as to why I should change certain things. It's been a big help in decision making for certain scenes, and I have been able to progress a little easier because of it. Thank you so much!**

 **ukitakeitalialover041757: O.O who knows?**

 **GaaraDeservesToBeHappy: Me too!**

 **Woah: I'm sorry that you have those issues! They are actually a very big deal and I think literature should address them more often. Kaela, unfortunately, has them basically ingrained in her due to the past, and we'll see why down the road.**


	11. Beasts of Dublith & Those Who Lurk

Yay! I've finally graduated high school! And now I have to get a job … But, it's okay. Because I'm finally getting you guys the final part of this section in the fic. After this part, chapters will mainly revolve around Kaela instead of what is happening around her as we will diverge from the series. This will also be the last chapter that is an episodic piece. After this, chapters will most likely shorten to that of my liking and be far more original as we won't be following the brothers' story for a while.

Please review if you enjoyed this chapter (or if you didn't)!

* * *

Beasts of Dublith & Those Who Lurk Underground

* * *

Kaela wasn't surprised when Izumi decided to kick the three of them out, but she hadn't entirely expected her to cut the ties of their teacher-student relationship. She also hadn't expected Ed to accept her decision without a word edgewise, but he had done so. With one last bow to Izumi, Kaela followed Ed and Al to the train station with George in her arms, and with Sig accompanying them closely behind her.

It was a silent trip; all were lost in thought about what had just transpired in the past few hours. By the time they arrived at the station, it was already past nightfall. George mewled and buried his head into her elbow, hiding from the chill that began to nip at their cheeks.

It wasn't more than twenty minutes before their train arrived. The trio stood side-by-side, facing Sig. The big man folded his arms, and huffed through his nose, though not unkindly. "If you're ever in the area, come and see us."

"But …"

"You idiots!" Sig shouted and surprised all of them. It was rare for Izumi's husband to ever raise his voice, even when angry. But his eyes were soft where his voice was not. "There's no 'teacher' or 'pupil' relationship any longer, which means that from now on, you can interact with each other as equal individuals. What reason is there to be so aloof now?"

Something clicked in the brothers' minds as they looked over at each other and exchanged a glance. "Damn it!" Ed groans, smacking a hand to his temple. "Al, what did we come to Dublith for? Sig, we're going back!"

Ed and Al took off running, leaving Kaela standing for a few moments in her own confusion, before finally calling out, "Wait for me!"

"Don't get yourselves killed!"

Kaela kept up the best she could with the brothers, but, unfortunately, she had never been as athletic as them. By the time, she caught up to them, Ed was already swinging the kitchen door open.

"Teacher!" He barely finished his greeting when a knife sailed into the wood about a centimeter above his head. Kaela's heavy breathing was covered by his loud scream and Izumi's growl of fury.

"How dare you show your faces here again?!" Izumi's contorted face looked like that of a demon's, and Kaela found her knees quaking before she even arrived at the door. "Who are you calling 'Teacher'? I no longer consider you pupils! Get out of here, now!"

Ed's eyes were defiant as he slammed his fist into the ground. "Teacher!" Both he and Al knelt to the ground, bowed slightly before the terrifying woman. Their friend held back, stalling only from utter bewilderment.

"We came here to find some leads on getting our original bodies back," Al explained, raising his head to meet her fury.

"We can't leave here empty-handed!"

"Get out!" Izumi repeated, taking a threatening step forward.

"No!" The brother yelled simultaneously. A long moment of silence ensued, and Izumi's eyes flicked up to Kaela as if to both dare and beckon her to choose a side. Swallowing her fear, Kaela averted her eyes and knelt down next to her friends, setting George down onto the floor. Ed glanced at her for a second, relieved at her support, before continuing his staring match with his former teacher.

Izumi sighed after what seemed like an hour. "You idiots. Let's sit." She motioned to the dining room, before asking Kaela to finish cutting up the vegetables. The young girl frowned, feeling as though she were being shunned.

Kaela began the slow motion of chopping the tomatoes and strained to hear what Izumi had to tell the boys, but there was only the rough slicing of the fruits. Giving up, she lost herself in her own thoughts. George rubbed against her leg, speaking in his own language. She smiled but shook her head.

"Sorry, George. You'll just have to wait until Izumi or Sig breaks out the meat. I'll let you have mine tonight; I'm not feeling up to it."

George meowed back an answer.

"No, I'm not sick. I'm just in the mood for vegetables, you know? I guess you don't know since you don't eat your veggies like a good boy."

This back-and-forth continued for about five minutes until George became distracted by a piece of hay in the doorway. Kaela hummed for a bit, wondering how the next day would play out. It would probably be a while until Izumi's solution came about. That meant they would have to board here for a while. Would that mean they would have to work there? It wouldn't be so bad if only she and Ed wouldn't bicker all the time. Maybe they'd stay there long enough for Winry to come to visit.

Only, Kaela found she didn't want her sister to be there just yet.

She frowned, unsure of where the thought came from. Kaela didn't dislike her sister, not by a longshot. But there were often times where she would be jealous of Winry because Winry was the better doctor, the more outgoing sister, the brighter person. She took everyone's attention, including their parents, including Ed's —

"Crap," Kaela grunted as a thick line of red liquid wrapped around her index finger. Hastily, she moved away from the food so that the blood wouldn't drip into the tomatoes. Without thinking, Kaela clapped her hands together only to realize she had left her alchemy gloves on the trunk which had probably been loaded onto the train already. She would have to request by telegram for her things to be sent back.

The door opened, the conversation apparently done between Izumi and the Elric brothers, and the three walked in to find Kaela nursing her finger in her mouth.

"What happened?" Al asked immediately, seeing a faint red stain on the exposed skin of her index.

"I wasn't paying attention and forgot to move my hand," Kaela said with a shrug. It wasn't a big deal; the boys got beat up and bruised far more often than she did.

"Where are your gloves?" Izumi had noticed something off and quickly realized that this was not the usual way Kaela dealt with injuries.

"On their way to Central by train. It's fine; I can deal with a cut once in a while during my life."

Izumi rolled her eyes but watched as Ed's narrowed. He began glancing around the room, searching for _something_ , and when Izumi realized what it was, she smirked. "Third cabinet from the left," she supplied, and he immediately pulled the bandages from the shelf.

"Oh, I can do it myself —"

"Why can't you pay attention to these things? You can't just go around getting hurt just because you have magic hands."

"U-uh?" Kaela's jaw slammed closed when Ed began wrapping with practiced hands the white strip around her finger. The heat came back, the one that was weird, the one that was not right and not fair to feel for Ed. She squirmed and fidgeted, looking anywhere but at his focused, golden eyes and furrowed brows, until he had tied the knot. Kaela quickly pulled her hand from his and excused herself to the restroom under the pretense of washing up, ignoring the different stares she was receiving.

She leaned against the door once it shut and slid down onto the floor, feeling her heart hammer harder into her chest. This wasn't right. It wasn't right how she had focused on his every touch, his every movement. She didn't like how she was becoming more and more aware of his proximity to her. The weird feeling, which she had begun to subconsciously identify as more than "like", was rapidly taking hold of her, and it wasn't fair to her friend.

Edward didn't deserve this strange, stupid attraction toward him. The only thing he had ever asked of her was friendship, and this desire (if you could even call it that) was wrong and it was uncalled for. Kaela felt like a horrible person and a horrible best friend. She had even become _jealous_ of her own sister because of him. It was unlike her, and it was taking over.

It needed to stop.

She decided she could pretend she was perfectly fine. It would be completely fine. Then, they could go back to being best friends.

Kaela would stop the weird feeling once and for all.

* * *

Dinner passed by fast. It was a quiet but pleasant atmosphere as the sausages Sig had made earlier were devoured. Al and Ed chatted together, but Kaela wasn't listening. She just wanted to finish supper and head to her room, all while ignoring the boy who has presumptuously seated himself next to her. When she didn't respond to a joke thrown her way, the boys looked at her with mild concern.

"Hey," Ed said with a nudge to her shoulder. Startled, Kaela looked up with a quick heartbeat and her face began to flush. She turned to look at Al, hoping Ed hadn't noticed her pinkening ears.

"Yeah? What's up?" She asked in an attempt to keep her tone light, but she refused to look at Ed even when he spoke.

"We were just talking about George and how he's practically the third stray you and Al have picked up." Ed sounded confused and a little hurt, and out of the corner of Kaela's eye, she could see a frown begin to form. A coil of guilt swirl around her throat and she had to swallow it away.

"Oh. Yeah."

Ed and Al exchanged a look, one that Kaela did not care to decipher when she resumed stabbing the salad she had made earlier. Even Izumi and Sig glanced between the three of them, their faces asking for a clue of what was going on. Kaela didn't give them a hint, and Al and Ed could only shrug.

Kaela set her utensils down and pushed her plate forward before picking it up only a moment later after standing up. "Thank you for the food, Izumi. Sig." She nodded at both of them, to which they responded with hesitant nods of their own. Even for Kaela, her movements felt strangely mechanical as she walked to the kitchen, putting one foot in front of the other with the eyes of the others piercing her back. "I'll take a shower first."

After grabbing a change of pajamas (a nice luxury while they were staying at the Curtis's), Kaela hopped in the shower, opting for a quick rinse instead of a soak. If she soaked, she would think, and if she thought, she would feel.

Cool jets of water pelting her skin (except for the finger that was carefully placed away from the streams of water) distracted her from her earlier troubles, and she found herself wondering about Scar. That afternoon in the rain, he hadn't used a transmutation circle, and his hands had been bare of gloves. Could the man have also committed taboo? That would somewhat connect as a motive for killing state alchemists … in a very scatterbrained way. No, there must be more than that to it. Why else would he be murdering alchemists who had not performed human transmutation? There was also the fact that he looked like Ishvalan with his tanned skin and white hair, but Kaela couldn't be sure until she had seen his eye color. But if he was Ishvalan, that would explain a _lot_ of things.

Blindly, Kaela reached for a towel beyond the shower curtain after she shut the water off. She dried off quickly and dressed, opting to air dry her black hair instead of wrapping it in the towel she found. It was peaceful and yet lonely as she began her nightly routine of brushing her teeth and squeezing the water from her damp locks. Usually, she and Ed would do those things together, and Al would make light conversation between the two. But now, after she had pushed them away due to her own self-absorbed troubles, it was far quieter than she liked.

She sighed as she pushed the bathroom door open and exited, still massaging the towel to her scalp, but stopped short of making her way down the hallway when she saw a figure leaning against the wall near the door.

Ed wasn't looking at her, but she knew he was aware of her presence by the way he shifted when Kaela halted her steps. He was staring at the ground and wearing a similar expression as he had earlier when he had wrapped her finger, only more intense and angered. Kaela swallowed and attempted to walk past him, pretending she hadn't noticed him, but, much to her luck, Ed reach out with his automail arm and grip her shoulder, twisting her midstep so that she was facing him.

He was now gazing at her with intensity, and she didn't need to force herself to look away.

"What's wrong?" He asked, searching her flushed face for answers. Kaela was glad for the shower, as it had already reddened her cheeks to the point of seemly embarrassment. Ed's hand loosened, and it dropped to his side when Kaela folded her arms across her chest to make herself look smaller. "You've been ignoring me since we got back. Are you angry? Did you want to leave Dublith?"

"No!" She met his eyes for the first time since he had bandaged her finger, her own wide and reflecting the moon that had begun to peak through the window. "No, I'm glad we came back. It's important."

"Then what's the problem? Did I say something to make you upset?" Ed's voice became softer, and Kaela's traitor of a heart almost convince her brain it was a loving whisper. She squeezed her eyes shut, keeping Ed's own probing, concerned eyes from further searching.

She looked away when she opened her eyes. Kaela could ignore this feeling, even though it was growing every time Ed spoke, every time he moved, every time he was in her line of sight. She could ignore it. It was entirely possible. "It nothing."

He groaned and glared, placing his other hand on her head and spinning it to face him again. "Seriously, Kae, it's obviously something. You always tell me if something is bothering you. I — I can get rid of whatever it is."

Kaela snorted with doubt. If he knew he was the cause, Ed would double over in laughter. Or leave her in disgust.

"Look, I'm not … I'm not angry. I'm just tired. Maybe I'll be fine in the morning."

Ed stared for a few more moments. Kaela couldn't help but profile his face. Tonight, it was guarded, much different from the open book expressions he usually bore, but she thought she saw desperation and frustration behind his eyes. There was also what she thought was beyond concern for a friend, but she shoved it down, blaming it once again on her treacherous heart.

Great. Now she was hallucinating and projecting her own feelings onto Ed.

Finally, he let her go, and even though the remorseful feeling returned, she was glad he turned around first so that she didn't need to school her face anymore. "Good night, Kaela. I hope you're feeling better tomorrow."

She watched him go to his own room and shut the door to muffle the words of his younger brother. Kaela's chest felt heavy as she stood there for what felt like an eternity, contemplating how she was going to get through the next morning.

* * *

Izumi had the three doing chores the moment they awoke. Al was in charge of sweeping the outside, while Ed and Kaela were put to work cleaning the house in general. Izumi dumped them in the kitchen and told them that after they were done, they could begin in the bathrooms. Ed grumbled, but didn't complain beyond that.

The two worked on opposite sides of the room, largely ignoring each other's presences. Occasionally, when they did accidentally touch each other, they reacted as though they had touched a hot stove and jumped away without hesitation. It would have been comical if not for the oppressing cloud that hung over the room.

Kaela's mind was going practically hyperspeed whenever she came too close to her friend. It was as if she could feel wherever he was in the room at all times. She wondered if he was still angry with her from the night before. That would explain the distance he was purposefully putting between them. Her shoulders slumped as she remembered the reason he was angry was that she had hurt him. It hadn't been intentional, but she hadn't exactly been concerned with the opposite party's emotions, either.

But she didn't want to break the silence. She needed to get her thoughts away from him and away from the tingly feeling in her gut that she got whenever she saw him. So she focused on wiping the counters and cabinets instead with a rag already dirtied from old blood and fat stains, not noticing the glances Ed was stealing across the room.

Finally, he sighed and put down the washcloth and gloves he was using to wash the dishes. "I need to talk to Al. I'll be back in a bit."

When she didn't answer, or even look up, he left with a scowl.

… Only for him not to return as he'd promised.

An uncomfortable feeling set in her stomach again, and the back of her mind worried that he and Al were discussing something important without her again. It might have been about her. Maybe they were going to leave her behind and forget about her because of her recent attitude. Kaela knew she was being silly, but she couldn't help the irrational fear of being abandoned again.

She steeled herself before heading out, the rag forgotten on the shelf of an open cabinet. Mentally, she prepared herself for a barrage of questions similar to last night and of the tiny chance they would decide to leave her. Hands shaking, mind irrational, Kaela blew out an unsteady breath and opened the front door to find neither of them standing nearby.

Frowning at their absence, she forgot her present worries and called their names. No reply. After asking a few passers-by, she found herself lost in a few alleyways. Apparently, the witnesses had seen a large man in a suit of armor stumble into a specific pub looking quite drunk, and a small, furious-looking boy followed after maybe around fifteen minutes later with a beaten up man in tow.

A sign with a familiar name came into view: The Devil's Nest. A few of the people she had asked had mentioned this was the bar that the two had entered. The bar was placed in between an antique shop and the local prison, squeezing the bar so that it couldn't have been more than fifteen feet across. The bar also apparently had no windows whatsoever, and the air that hung over the building was not light and obnoxiously loud like bars usually were. Kaela hesitating, wondering what kind of pub this could be, but when she opened the front door, instead of a lively bar like she had expected, she found a staircase leading down to the basement level.

Kaela slowly made her way down, and soon she could hear the sounds of fighting below. Still, she did not rush; Kaela hadn't exactly armed herself before she left, and both Ed and Al were superior in hand-to-hand combat than most people. Strangely enough, she didn't run into many people on the way down. Kaela expected at least a guard or two, but no one was around.

When she reached the door where the yelling and alchemic crackles were coming from, she gently opened to door, peeking her head inside. Facing the opposite wall was Ed, bleed profusely and panting like a dog. His metal arm was practically shredded down to the wire, and several parts were scattered on the floor. Ed didn't show any sign of hearing her enter.

Neither did the man opposing him. However, this man was very strange. He was bare save for some skinny pants and shoes. His skin had a shiny, gray quality that you almost mistook for armor until he moved; the "metal" seemed to be almost just as flexible as normal skin. The strange man had a strange face: no lips, long fangs on his lower jaw, and black eyes that were trained on the boy in front of him.

"Ed?" Kaela called. Both of the combatants turned toward her as she stepped into the room. Ed's eyes widened, then narrowed.

"What are you doing here? Where are your guns?"

His words made her shrink back, but still. She had to be here. If Winry knew Ed's mechanical arm like the back of her hand, then Kaela knew the rest of his living body, and she knew he wasn't going to last much longer. Relaxing her hands, she placed herself in a defensive position and faced Ed's attacker.

But the stranger had relaxed, almost slumped, and was staring at Kaela with a look that she could only guess to be awe. He moved a hand up as if to reach out to her, but let it drop after a moment. "Kid...do?"

She backed away half a step. Kaela recognized the voice, and it was uncomfortable. Ed glanced between them, obvious confusion lighting his eyes.

"Who are you?" Kaela asked. Ed opened his mouth to answer, but the stranger cut him off.

"It's me, kiddo. It's Papa."

"No," Kaela said quickly, too quickly. "No, I don't know you."

"Yes, you do, Michaela." He stepped toward her and she stepped back until she hit a wall behind her. His skin — the metallic gray — began to fall away as it was replaced first by a shock of black hair, a beak-like nose, and sharp, purple eyes. Kaela knew those eyes. She knew they were from her dream.

"No …" She tried again, but it was no use. She slumped down, staring at his face in a daze. He crouched down, his eyes soft where they seemed to should have been hardened and cold. He hesitated, as if Kaela was more fragile than glass, before reaching out toward her face.

"You look so much like your mother."

Kaela squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't know him. She didn't know him. She didn't know him. She didn't know him, she didn't know him, she didn't know him she didn't know him shedidn'tknowhim —

She never felt his touch. A deep voice grunted in front of her, and less than a second later, Kaela heard a crash to her right. Opening her eyes, she saw Ed breathing heavily, staring down the familiar man who was practically embedded in the wall.

"Don't touch her, Greed" he hissed, and, of all the times, Kaela felt her heart squeeze. The man's narrowed eyes trained onto the boy.

"You can't keep me from doing that, kid. That's my daughter." Greed stood, coughing slightly and holding his bleeding head, which was crackling with red alchemy. His eyes became focused onto the boy and his metal skin seized his body again.

That's when the dream, the memory, became clearer. Kaela remembered the long nose, the shock of black hair so similar to her own, the triangular teeth that grinned at her with both sadness and fear. And she knew that he was her father, in that one instant.

"Impossible," Ed said immediately. "You're a Homunculi. You can't reproduce."

"Says you. News flash, buddy," Greed walked closer, "We can. It just takes a while longer and lots more dedication than you humans. You practically breed faster than rabbits."

Ed grimaced, knowing the little information he had on homunculi was not enough to say that Greed was lying. Something told him he wasn't. "Say you did have a child. Where's the mother?"

His opponent's eyes darkened. "Dead"

"Dead?"

"'Little less than a century ago."

"That's what makes it impossible."

"To you, maybe." Greed popped his neck a couple of times before striding confidently back over. "But there are ways to preserve youth. It's not a way to stop death in its entirety, but it is a way to live on forever if you aren't artificially created."

"What? Are you saying she's almost a hundred years old?" Ed snorted incredulously. "I'm having a hard time believing something like that."

"It doesn't matter to you. The only thing that matters is that my daughter is here and now, right in front of me, when I thought she was …"

"Stop." Kaela's voice cracked and her eyes watered, but she stood up anyway, refusing to show any other sort of weakness. Even if she was useless, she could thwart "This argument is pointless. I don't know who you are, even if you are my father. All I know is that you are Ed's enemy, and that makes you mine as well."

Even if he was her sire, even if this homunculus had the same blood running through his veins, he wasn't her family. That was Granny and Winry. Even if this man claimed to know her past, to know her before she lost her memory, to know her name even before he had been told by her or the brothers, he didn't know her best. That was Edward and Alphonse. She didn't care if this somehow made her inhuman, or that somehow she was older than Granny herself (if she was to even believe this stranger's words).

Her past didn't matter, even if she was curious… But this was the present.

Greed's shoulders slackened ever so slightly when he processed her words. "I see." But he recovered quickly, donning a wry smirk and tilting his head with arrogance. "However, I don't have time to be fighting either of you. So I'll be running away now."

Before either alchemist could say anything, Greed had zoomed out the door. Ed began to run after him, but mere moments later, soldiers had blocked the entryway with their guns trained on the two of them. "Eh?"

Kaela felt her knees give out. Her mind was spinning, unable to concentrate on anything except the new facts before her. Ed's voice only barely reached her before she dazedly allowed him to help her up and move her into the hallway where several soldiers were lined. The echoes of bullets being fired fell on her deaf ears.

She was not human? At most, if Greed was to be believed (and, for some odd reason, she found him hard to distrust), she was only half.

She was the child of their supposed enemy? The Homunculi?

She was around a hundred years old? Impossible … but it wouldn't entirely be so if she was a homunculus. They had antigens that prevented the early aging bacterias found in humans. So it could be she was older than fourteen, as she had previously assumed.

The hallway was silent for a long time after Ed argued with a few soldiers about going after Al. Ed helped set her against the wall, where she slid down on her own but avoided looking at her. A crease had formed in his forehead as a medic bandaged him up.

Kaela's heart sank. She should have expected this. If she wasn't human, she didn't have the right to be with her chosen family and friends. It just wasn't natural.

Eventually, the Fuhrer returned, along with a very bloody Al in Armstrong's arms. Kaela stood as Ed rushed to his brother's side. "What's wrong with him? Why is he …"

Armstrong shook his head. He set Al down and motioned for Ed to help him take off the breastplate. When a small, lithe, and very dead body fell out, Kaela snapped out of her pity party. She moved over to his side, lifting the bloody body from his chest cavity despite Ed's and Armstrong's protests; again, these noises only fell on deaf ears. After examining the body, the stab wounds that began at her collar bone and ended in her abdomen not going unnoticed, and handing it off to some soldiers to remove from the building, Kaela returned to find Ed speaking to Al, who had begun to shake.

"Al," Ed began, growing frantic at the violent shaking. "Hey, snap out of it! Hey! Answer me!" The quivering ceased and Al's eyes flickered back on, registering his surroundings before speaking.

"Brother?"

Ed sighed. "Are you alright?"

"What about you, Brother? You're covered in cuts," Al said. When he turned his helm to look at Kaela, who loomed over him dripping with blood. "Kaela, what happened to you? All that blood …"

"It's — it's not mine." Kaela looked away. That's when Al glanced down and saw the blood trail leading from his body. He gasped - a movement that quirked his entire body.

Armstrong crouched down, shirtless and bandaged. "We took the liberty of opening you up, and pulling her out." Al covered his own face, seeming to mentally collapse. Kaela placed a hand on his spiked shoulder, letting him know she was there and fully expecting him to pull away.

Because she was not human.

But he didn't. "I couldn't save her."

"It wasn't your fault." Ed broke the long silence, casting a downward frown before whipping his head back up with an unconvincing smile. "Okay. Let's go home."

Al didn't move.

"Al."

After a moment, Al nodded.

"Just a moment." A commanding voice called out in the gloom. The Fuhrer appeared, arms nonchalantly crossed behind his back, and approached the three slowly. "There is something I must ask you."

Ed stood to face the Fuhrer as he spoke.

"Do you know the mastermind here, a man named Greed?"

"No." Ed shook his head. Kaela's pulse thrummed in her wrist.

"Did you get any important information out of him?"

"No. Nothing that would benefit the military."

"Don't misunderstand me," the Fuhrer said. The guns of the Fuhrer's guard that were slowly being aimed toward Ed unnerved Kaela, but she remained silent. If anything went sideways here, she would defend the boys with her life, but if she even spoke up, they could all be dead. "I don't mean for the military. If you have arranged a deal with him, then depending on what it is … Have you taken up with those who would do harm to the heart of the military?"

"No." Ed's expression remained neutral, but he took an unconscious step back. "Any other questions?"

"Your steel arm and your brother's armored form — Are they somehow related?"

Kaela's stomach clenched. He knew. He knew they had performed the taboo. The Fuhrer was entirely aware that Ed's arm was missing because he performed a soul attachment on the suit of armor to bring back his brother. Ed's face hardened as an answer after a moment of surprise.

"Such an honest boy." The Fuhrer smiled, and the tension was gone as he walked away. As he bid the boys good luck, the soldiers pulled out, leaving only Armstrong to remain and help Al stand.

The day's events were tiring. Ed patted Al's arm and glanced back at Kaela, signaling their return. It was a silent walk back to the Curtis household. By the time they got there, the Fuhrer was inside, speaking with Izumi, who had overexerted herself earlier and was lying in bed. The boys and Armstrong stayed outside, where Ed cleaned his brother's breastplate of the blood. Kaela returned to her room, where she could only imagine their conversation.

Ed would probably tell his brother and Armstrong of her lineage. She would be sent to prison or interrogated. Not that she minded; she didn't deserve to be treated as an equal anymore. It was painful, though, when Winry's face popped into her mind, contorted with disgust and repulsion, and Al's, eyes dark and refusing to meet her own.

She moved to the window, leaving George to curl up on her bed without her. Would this be the last night she could be with the Elrics? Would they banish her from their group, knowing she was a complete abomination?

And her newly established feelings for Edward … they would never surface again. She still felt weird toward him, a strange desire that welled in her chest and a happy smile that appeared when he was near. It would have to be shoved down even further than before. They couldn't be friends, let alone anything more, with these new realizations.

Kaela gazed up at the night sky, looking at the stars before she realized something strange. There was … a spike of hair dangling in her vision. Frowning, she looked up at the top of the window sill, only to gasp in surprise as a hand covered her mouth.

Envy grinned as he slipped a rag over her mouth and nose, creating a darkness that consumed her vision whole.

* * *

Lots and lots of information shoved into this one chapter, I'm sorry! But I wanted to get this out to you guys today (which also the day of my graduation ceremony, woo woo!) and move on to the next arc. And I know the ending was a cliffy, but you all know Envy, being slick as snot and not caring if someone is wallowing in their own misery.

Thank you guys for reading this far! I'll probably take a while to get the next arc out of my head, but don't worry. I will not give up on this story, not when we've just gotten to the juicy bits!


	12. They Will Drag You Down

**Haha (dodging tomatoes and the like) I'm sorry for the long wait! I have been busy with two jobs, a play, and my last season of sports. I'm sorry I have a life :(. Anyway, I have finally mapped out what I want for this fanfiction, so yay! Expect shorter chapters and more original content! If you don't like the shorter chapters ... then I'm sorry. Again.**

 **Much love! Please Review!**

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They Will Drag You Down

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Kaela grew used to the cold floors beneath her, the air chillier and more lifeless from the lack of sun, and the lack of companionship for the last two days. Envy visited during both the morning and at night to give her some excuse called soup, but other than that, she had no other person to talk to and no other way to tell the time. Kaela had been passed out for the majority of the time spent traveling back to Central (as that's where Envy so kindly told her they were at), but she got the sense that they were far underground, and the smell of rotten garbage was a plain pointer to the fact that they were probably in Central's sewer system.

Right then, Kaela sipped the last bit of water from her glass from the morning. Her captor didn't seem to have an exact time when he would come to see her, as the differences in the lengths between his visits were varying, so she had to conserve the meager meals given to her as much as possible.

"Calm as ever," a snide voice called from beyond the bars. Envy.

"Why wouldn't I be? I'm not exactly in a position to struggle." As she drained the last drop she set the cup down, looking up at him expectantly.

"True. You were drugged up until I dropped you off here, and even if you were to try and escape, you would get lost in this maze, after all. You can't even perform alchemy correctly to break these bars, anyway." Envy smirked. "But I get the feeling that's not all there is to it. It's like that fighting spirit has been completely sucked dry."

Kaela averted her gaze. Damn kid. As much of an asshole as he was, Envy was particularly perceptive, especially with the shift in her mood. The crack in his face grew wider as he snorted.

"Did you get shell-shocked after finding out who your dear ol' Daddy was? Traumatized by the fact that your chromosomes are partially artificial? Afraid that now that both you and your besties know about you being not human, you will be abandoned both physically and emotionally?"

Her body stiffened and her breathing was unsteady, but she did not voice her wish to have the homunculus be silent. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her anger. Envy frowned at the lack of reaction and exhaled through his nose before turning his head away.

"Father wants to see you," he said matter-of-factly. At this, Kaela decided to look at him and try and decipher his body language. There wasn't any cruelty in his face, but nor was there any pity. If anything, Envy simply looked impatient. She couldn't get anything out of it. He caught her scanning him, and Envy jerked his head up. "Come on. He isn't a patient man."

Hesitantly, Kaela stood and moved toward the entrance to her cell, where Envy unlocked the door and motioned her through, telling her to 'not try anything funny'. It wasn't like she had any of her weapons, and Envy's body, though skinny, told her that even she would have a difficult time taking him down in these cramped, damp, and dark corridors. "Where are we headed?"

"Oh, you'll see."

* * *

The day before, Ed laid on a small cot in Winry's new workplace in Rush Valley as she examined his scraped-up arm. Al sat off to one side, making light conversation with her. Ed's mind was elsewhere.

"So, where's my sister? She went with you to Dublith, right?" Winry asked. It was a valid question, especially since it concerned someone very important to her, but it still stabbed Edward in a very sore spot. She scowled. "You didn't just forget her there, did you?"

It was a few moments before the silence broke. Winry turned pale as she began to assume the worst. Al spoke up before she could voice her thoughts. "We're … we aren't actually sure where she went. Kaela just disappeared the night before we left. There was a note."

"What? Are you saying she ran away?" Winry cried out, disbelief coating her voice. Ed shrunk further away. "My sister, who has followed you two without question since she came here, ran away?"

"Well, she found out some very, um, disturbing news during our stay in Dublith. About her original family, and who she was as a person before she came to live with you."

Winry was still for a moment, then slumped over with glazed eyes, Ed's arm entirely forgotten. He sat up, head hung and eyes downcast. "I'm sorry, Winry. It's my fault. I didn't react well to her situation, and I probably drove her away." He placed his hand over his eyes and his teeth grit together. "I'm so, so sorry."

"…What did she find out?"

Ed looked up, nearly dismissing it when she cut him off with a look.

"You two always push me away when it concerns you, and that bothers me, but don't you dare keep quiet about my sister, who could be dead in a ditch somewhere." Her glare was now angry, wrathful, and Ed wasn't sure whether it was even aimed towards him or not.

Al cleared his throat, giving his older brother a sharp nod. "We found her biological father in Dublith."

Ed shifted under the weight of the mechanic's gaze which waited for him to continue. "Her father is among those who are trying to hinder us in our search for the Philosopher's Stone. And they aren't human."

"What?" Winry folded her arms. "You're saying Kaela's biological father isn't human? Then, that means …"

Ed nodded grimly. "Yeah. We aren't entirely sure how, but these beings can procreate with humans. So that means your sister is only half human. Turns out Kaela's somewhere around a century old, too, if we listen to that guy."

"That's," Winry paused, "a lot to process. And how did Kaela react?"

"Not well. I haven't seen her that shaken up before. I think she remembered a few things, too, which confirms it." Ed's face darkened with guilt. "And I … didn't even try to talk to her about it. I pretty much ignored her until we got back. I just didn't know how …" He groaned before he became silent.

It was quiet. Winry's brows were nearly touching, the information very obviously being chewed on in her brain. Ed was motionless, head heavy in his hands but not as heavy as the barbed wire curled around his heart. Al's eyes were dark.

"I can't believe she's run away," Winry said, letting out a shaky breath.

"I couldn't either, Winry, but the note—" Al was cut off by Winry.

"No, I mean, I don't think Kaela would do that," she said more firmly. "My sister is a rational person. She wouldn't just let her emotions override her logic like that. It's not like her."

"The note said she was leaving because she didn't want to burden us any longer," Ed argued.

"I refuse to believe she would be broken from something like this." Winry stood up, looking at something beyond the tiny room they were in. "She knows that she's an asset to you guys more than a burden, and the only thing the information would do to inconvenience you would be to create an awkward atmosphere. And just because Kaela would be uncomfortable doesn't mean she would just run with the wind."

"So … what are you suggesting?"

"Notes can be faked."

"You think she's been kidnapped?" Ed looked up not out of doubt but rather of thoughtfulness. "That would make a lot of sense, considering who we're up against. They would resort to cowardly tactics."

"What do we do?" Winry asked.

Ed was silent before answering. "I have no idea where their hideout is. The only thing we can do is wait for another homunculus to show up. Then we can start asking some questions."

* * *

Envy led Kaela down a series of tunnels, not bothering to blindfold her. Either he didn't think she would memorize the maze he was leading her through (which she did), or she wasn't expected to leave from where they were headed. Kaela hoped that it was the former.

"I still can't believe Father has let you live this long," Envy said as if he were talking about the weather. "But he's a man with a plan, so we don't question him too much."

"What kind of man is he?"

Envy grinned, though it was wry. "A man free of sin. That's what we, his children, are—his sins."

"So, he supposedly has only virtues and is pure? Like an angel of some sort?"

"Oh, definitely not. He still dirties his hands for his own purposes. But Father does not feel envy, or lust, or sloth. He doesn't act on greed, gluttony, pride, or wrath. Father just is and does." Envy's words suggested that he held pride toward the man, but his tone suggested that he really couldn't care less. Kaela raised a brow.

"This 'Father' sounds like a hypocrite if you ask me."

Envy halted, then turned to face her after a few moments, his face serious and grim instead of the usual sarcastic grin. "I recommend not saying that around anybody else. I personally don't care how you feel about Father, but the others will become angry. Especially Pride." He rolled his eyes. "You're not an idiot human, so don't act like one."

They continued walking, a silence growing between them before Envy spoke again. "Your friends are back in Central, by the way. The Fullmetal Alchemist and his brother. They brought a girl with them, too."

"…I see. My sister must have come back with them, then."

"Pft, your sister?"

"Yes, my sister. I was raised alongside her, so I don't see the problem in calling her that."

"But you aren't blood-related. That's what gives you no right to say you have such a relationship. You're both just glorified playmates."

"You're probably not entirely blood-related to your Father or whatnot."

"Whatever." Envy placed his hands on the back of his hands, and his lips formed a pout. "They're holed up in their rooms crying over that Colonel Hughes, or whoever he was."

"What?" Kaela stopped in their tracks. Envy looked back with irritation that they'd stopped on the way again. "What happened to Hughes?"

"Oh, I killed him. Right after you left." He grinned, obviously very pleased with his actions. "He found out our plan, which was crazy smart for a human."

"…O-oh…"

Hughes was dead. The man who'd helped them on the case of the Fifth Laboratory, the man who visited Ed in the hospital, the man who had taken in Winry for a night, the man who loved his wife and daughter more than anyone else in the world, was dead. It seemed impossible; he seemed so wily in his ways that he should have escaped death. He should have slipped from its boned clutches with his mysterious knowledge and values. But Envy was right: Hughes was only a human, and humans were very susceptible to death.

Envy squinted at Kaela when her breathing hollowed and shortened. She gripped the wall for support and tried to force herself to take deep breaths, only to end up choking and coughing. Envy came up to her, patting her back and giving her a look that could have been concern, but it also could have been annoyance. She looked up at him, trying to regain control of her breath.

"Why … you, who hates others … you're helping me … why?" She hoped he would be able to understand her question through the incoherence. Apparently, he did.

Envy shrugged. "I really just like seeing humans suffer, but you're different now. You're one of us. I get you still cling to those pathetic, weak friends of yours, though. But you're going to need to buck up."

"' Buck up'? How in hell … do you expect me to do that? One of the people I care about was killed. By you, I might add!" Kaela coughed out the last bit of her shock and sorrow; instead, she became filled with rage, something she wasn't accustomed to. "I'm not sure what you homunculi live for, if not for others."

Envy smiled as she straightened. "Well, we all have our motives, but it isn't something silly and temporary as that. Selfishness, on the other hand, lasts forever."

"You're disgusting."

"Hence my name: Envy. I'm basically the embodiment of sin, get it?"

He dragged her along, but she shook off his hand, the hand that now seemed stained with blood to Kaela. Before long, they entered an enormous cavern, filled with strange technology and piping systems. Kaela felt her head turn this way and that just to see everything, but she felt as though she had seen all of this before.

In the center of the room was a spot filled with light, and a familiar man sat on a makeshift throne in its middle. Kaela's eyes widened.

"Hohenheim?"

Kaela hadn't known the Elric patriarch for long, but she knew him before he'd left his family to go on some sort of journey. Trish always bounced around it, never quite giving a full explanation. The boys only talked about him with anger. But she'd never, not in a million years, thought him to sit in the middle of this room and look down on his nose at her.

"Ah," the man's voice boomed, flat and emotionless. "I see you've met my creator. Despite my appearance, I am not him."

"What? But you look identical."

The pale man shook his head. "No. That man and I are different in everything except appearance."

"…Alright."

"Welcome to my home, little Michaela. Or should I say, welcome back."

"Am I supposed to be surprised? Because at this point everything in the last week has been shocking enough for a lifetime." She almost spat, but Envy shot her a warning look. She made an attempt to compose herself.

"Did Greed tell you the truth about yourself?"

"More or less."

"Good. Then you know that you are something of an abomination?"

Kaela flinched, but she nodded. It was true, anyhow. 'Father', as she assumed this man to be shifted in his seat, still expressionless.

"Fear not, little one. I have a plan to make you more complete to become a perfect being."

Kaela frowned, not liking where this was going. Seeing as she had no other choice in the matter, however, she sighed and asked, "And what would that plan be?"

"Should one of my children die, your body and soul shall be fused with theirs."

"…What…?"

"Don't worry, it is not impossible, young one. I am very powerful in that art. However, though your sire's rebirth is scheduled, I will not meld him to you. His soul may yet rebel with the relationship between you two despite his memories being dissolved into nothing."

"No, I just—" Kaela broke off, the news of her potential and probable future laid out before her. "Okay." She couldn't argue. It was what she deserved.

"However, if you serve to protect my other children, you shall not lose yourself if they do not die. Your choices are laid out before you."

"I … see." Did she want to keep herself? Did she want to live, and possibly escape one day?

"The choice is yours; I do not care one way or the other, as long as you are under my command."

It seemed to Kaela, that this Father, had no assumptions that she would try to escape. Was he an idiot? Or did he have that much faith that she wouldn't refuse his offer or escape? "Do I benefit from this?"

"Ah, there is the possibility you could run. So, I will give you a reward if you side with me. If you do, I shall keep the human family that raised you alive. If you refuse or escape, they will die."

What an ultimatum. Escape this rotten place and live as her own self, or become this man's slave and save Pinako and Winry from certain death from the other homunculi. It was obvious which she would choose. "I accept your terms, then."

"Good. That will be all." Father waved his hand as if she were some peasant in a king's throne room. Envy led her away, the familiar grin settled on his features.

"Wow, I wasn't sure if you were going to agree."

"Unlike you, I actually have people I care about." Kaela could feel that her expression had contorted into a probably ugly scowl, but she paid no heed. There was no way to logically get out of this; emotions were the only thing that really separated her from the rest of these filthy beings.

Envy shrugged. "That makes you weak, then. They will drag you down. If you didn't care about others, you could be free. I don't doubt your ability of deception and your will to escape."

"Whatever."

"Well, you're free to wander around Central, now. Just remember, if anyone you know sees you, your sister will die. Probably at my hand."

Kaela grit her teeth.

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 **Yay, you've made it! Thanks for reading!**


	13. You Westerners Are So Strange

**I'm back with another chapter! I finally get to add Ling! Such a sassy boy. I absolutely adore him.**

 **R &R!**

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You Westerners Are So Strange

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The next day, after sleeping in her cell again for the night (not locked up, there was just no other place to rest), Kaela explored the tunneling system, mentally mapping out the general area. It wasn't too difficult, once she figured out all the pathways led back to the central room. She thanked God for spending extra time in the military libraries to go over maps for 'just in case' situations, even if it was extremely boring.

One particular chamber was interesting or, rather, horrifying. Scattered around a long room were various cages, each holding a strange creature that looked like a mismatch of various animals, including humans. It reminded her eerily of Shou Tucker's laboratory. Whenever Kaela neared a cage, the monstrosity would growl and lunge at her, only to smack right into the bars of the cage. The bars themselves looked particularly sturdy, but she wasn't about to test anything just yet, so she hurried along.

"…And so, Mustang handily avenges his friend." Kaela heard Envy from across the room speak to a gorgeous, curvaceous woman, possibly the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Similar to Envy, she had an Ouroboros tattoo on her collarbone. "And all's well that ends well."

"Don't you think that ending was kind of weak?" The woman closed her eyes, not paying Kaela any mind even when she walked directly in front of her. "The plan was to have the colonel behave himself."

"Does it matter? The dog eating the bait works out all right, too. Besides, it looks like we've dug up a little antagonism. There's no love lost between him and his subordinates, right?" Envy glanced over at Kaela. "Aha! And here's what the cat brought in. Lust, meet Greed's kid."

The woman opened her eyes, appraising Kaela for a few moments. "A pleasure, even if you are a _half-breed_."

"Likewise." Kaela allowed Lust's comment to bounce off of her like oil and water. "What were you two speaking about?"

Envy moved to open his mouth, but Lust spoke first, giving no indication she had even listened to Kaela. "How do we know she won't betray us? She has been close to the sacrifices, so there is no doubt she won't try to run and warn them." There wasn't any trace of cattiness in her tone; Lust was simply genuinely worried about Kaela leaking information, which she could understand and respect.

"If she knows what's good for her, she won't," Envy said with a smile. "We got her cornered, don't worry."

Kaela's eyes narrowed, but she didn't say anything. It was true. The homunculi had her where they wanted her, and there wasn't much she could do right now. She had to keep Winry and the others safe, even if it meant conspiring with the enemy. Maybe, when she could get stronger to protect them, she would escape. But she couldn't for now.

Instead, Kaela repeated her question earlier. "So? What did Colonel Mustang do?"

"Oh, right." Envy looked up at the nonexistent ceiling as if he just remembered the topic of their conversation. "Mustang went and offed that Maria Ross lady. The one I tried to replicate. He burned her to a crispy corpse!"

While Envy snorted out some laughter, Kaela gagged, her stomach churning. Her world was crumbling around her. Yes, she knew Mustang to be a bit aggressive, but to going around killing people… It was unthinkable! Or, it had been … Who knew just what the colonel was capable of? He and Hughes were known to be very close, and Mustang himself was a temperamental man, to begin with.

Envy rolled his eyes at her reaction, blatantly shrugging it off as some human behavior. "Well, it makes for one less person to kill off, and it covers our tracks as well. That means you don't have to do it yourself, so you should be happy!"

"I—I can't—" Kaela choked on her words a little before turning away. "I'm going to get some fresh air."

"Don't go too far, little dove." Lust called after her, eyes cold despite the comforting tone she took on. "You don't want something to happen to your loved ones, do you? After all, they are all just a step away from danger."

Lust's words made Kaela pause, but she shook off the threat. She knew her position. Kaela wasn't about to go out of her way to help the homunculi, but she couldn't simply do as she pleased. She was a prisoner of war, and she couldn't do much about it.

Still, she made her way out of the room, ignoring the stares that followed her until she disappeared from sight.

It was around evening when Kaela finally made her way from the sewers. The inner chambers of where the homunculi used as a base of operations were easy enough to navigate but getting to and from the surface were much more difficult.

She found Ed and Al sitting in a park. Kaela nearly called out to them, but the words ' _Don't go too far, little dove,'_ played in her mind like a broken record. Instead, she hung back in an alley where she couldn't hear their conversation but was still able to keep an eye on the brothers.

Ed looked absolutely drained. She could see the purple rings under his eyes and the slump of his usually erect posture. He stared blankly at the ground while Al placed a single hand on his back. Al, though unable to physically show emotion, was visibly concerned for his brother and most likely for the events around them.

Her chest hurt. This was all her fault. Maybe she could have prevented Lieutenant Ross's murder if Kaela hadn't gotten kidnapped. She knew that Ross was innocent; she could've proved it the night before, too. _Envy_ had murdered Hughes, not the poor young woman who had gotten tangled up in this mess.

And now, she had to watch the person she cared most about suffer for it. And it stung.

After maybe twenty minutes, Ed stood up, said a few things to his brother, and then walked back to their apartment. Kaela turned around to follow them when she found herself face-to-face with a young man taller than her with handsome Eastern features and clothing. It was hard not to notice that his bare chest nearly met the fabric of her sweater, as the only thing covering his top was some bandaging around his middle and a yellow haori draped over his shoulders.

She stepped back, her face flushing slightly, and she reached for one of her guns. If she got caught here, that spelled doom for Winry. But the man simply looked at her curiously.

"Who are you?" He asked, his accent not as heavy as she had thought it would be. "Why are you spying on Edward Elric?"

"I—I'm not! I was just passing through this alleyway."

"Right, and you just happened to stare in their general direction for a while, then decided to leave right when they did." The stranger shrugged. "Well, whether it was a coincidence or not, it doesn't matter. It's not my business."

The stranger turned away. For some reason, Kaela felt compelled to reach out to him. "Wait, do you know Ed? I mean, Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist?"

He turned around, studying her again. "Yep. Ran into them while traveling here. What's it to you?"

Here goes. Hopefully, the homunculi would at least allow this. "Can you deliver a message for me?"

"Depends on who it's from."

"Michaela Rockbell." It was a gamble, dropping her full name like this, but she had to. Thankfully, the man's thin eyes seemed to open wider, before they narrowed. He nodded.

"You've made that guy depressed. When I first met him, he was all mopey, saying how he'd driven you off."

Kaela flushed. It might not have been the right priority, but the thought that Ed was _that_ worried about her made her stomach flip. She cleared her throat before speaking. "Can you let him know I didn't run away? But that I'm safe for now. And tell him not to come looking for me."

The Eastern man's head bobbed, but he folded his arms. "You didn't run away, but you're safe? And you don't want him looking for you? That's a lot of contradictions."

"It's pretty complicated," Kaela said, feeling a bit pressed for time. She didn't know if she was being watched or not, but it was safe to assume that she was. "Look, I can't say anything else. Would you please do this small favor for me? I'll owe you one!"

"Okay. I'll keep you to your word. We'll probably meet again if you're so closely connected to that guy."

"Thank you. Please keep this quiet beyond those two brothers. It's for your own safety."

She let him brush past her as if they were strangers passing on the street. When he cocked his head to turn around, Kaela was already underground once again.

Envy met her there, expression careful and guarded. He raised a brow when she tried to walk past his figure leaning against the wall. "You think you're clever, hmm?"

Kaela whipped around, heart beating but eyes empty. "What do you mean?"

"Alright, let's not play dumb. I know how you worded your sentences and how you chose who to talk to. You bypassed our conditions."

"Technically, I didn't plan on saying any of that. It was just chance that the guy was there, to begin with. Not my fault."

"You let him sneak up on you," Envy decided with a snort.

"Actually," Kaela frowned, "I didn't hear him at all. Usually, I can sense people coming up behind me, but it was like he was there the whole time."

"Whatever. I'll let this slide. It won't undermine anything too big." Envy followed her back through the tunnels. "Keep this in mind though: I am the only one who would let this slide. And I won't be the one watching your back after this."

"I know. I'll keep quiet."

"Oh, you'll be doing much, much more than that."

Ed and Al returned from the park not too long after. After telling Winry through her door she should eat, they headed back to their room and Ed collapsed onto his bed. There was just so much going on right now. Hughes's death, his wife's sobbing through her front door despite her brave words, and now Maria Ross's murder by his own superior officer … Central turned out to be a mess from the moment he arrived.

He rolled over, looking at Kaela's bed at the opposite side of the room. If she were here, she'd pull some random, comforting wisdom from nowhere. He wouldn't feel like such a wreck right now. In fact, he couldn't remember a time in his life since before Kaela came to live with the Rockbells that she hadn't ever been there to cheer him up in some way. Sure, there was his brother, and there was Winry … But Kaela had a special feeling.

She made it all seem to disappear into the background when he looked at her silver eyes.

Ed groaned and threw an arm over his eyes. Al looked up but didn't question it. He understood his brother needed some time with his thoughts.

Ed missed her. He missed her far more than he would ever have thought he'd miss someone beyond his mother and brother. But here he was, his heart feeling like it was being ripped from its place in his chest knowing that his best friend was missing. Or worse, she could be de…

No, he couldn't come to that conclusion. Not yet.

It hurt so much. He wondered if she was feeling the same. Probably not, with the way he had outright ignored her before she had gone.

The was a knock at his window, and a crouched figure shadowed the blinds. Ed sat up just as his brother stood, and they shared a look. He made his way over without pause and opened the blinds to reveal Ling on the other side of the glass.

"Ling?" Ed cried incredulously. In response, the Eastern prince rapped on the window again, as if Ed couldn't hear him. The boy hurried to open the window, and Ling hopped inside, stretching his arms above his head.

"Wow, it's so strange how your country doesn't have balconies on every window! I felt like my whole body would cramp in that position." He strode over and sat on the bed—Kaela's bed. Ed bristled slightly.

"Why are you here? Where's Lan Fan and Fu?"

"So impatient. You see, in my country, patience is a virtue!"

"Ling, you just broke into my apartment—"

"—technically you let me in—"

"—and you've made it obvious you have something to say. So, go on." Ed's lid was nearly boiling over. This was just adding onto the soup of stress that was accumulating.

"Alright, since you asked so nicely," Ling sniffed. "I met your girlfriend out on the street today."

"My _what?_ "

"You know, that girl you were crying about."

"I wasn't crying—"

"I think she said her name was Michaela. Or something like that."

Ed's world froze. Michaela? But she was missing. How could she be in Central? Several different possibilities passed through his head at once, but he chose to simply hear Ling out before he arrived at any conclusions.

"And?" Ed was tripping over his words, but he didn't care. He needed to know about her. "What did she say?"

"I feel like I'm gossiping, but she told me to pass along a message to you as a favor." Ling sighed and looked at his nails.

"That's not really gossiping," Al pointed out.

"Whatever." He shrugged. "She said that she didn't actually run away, but she can't come to you right now."

"What the hell?" Ed was confused. That made no sense.

"The girl said she was safe."

"This doesn't … I don't even know what to ask." Ed sat on his bed across from Ling, trying to process his friend's message.

"It didn't look like she wasn't safe. She was by herself near the park where you were all down in the dumps, just kind of watching you two."

" _Kae was there?_ "

"Who? Oh, right. Nicknames. You Westerners are so strange. Anyway," Ling shifted, becoming more serious. "She said she was safe, but she was constantly looking at her surroundings. I think she was being watched, though I wasn't able to sense a presence. She also disappeared pretty fast. I'm not sure where she went."

Ed cradled his head in his hands, leaning his elbows onto his knees. Kaela was alive, which crossed out the main thing he had been worried about. She didn't run away, but that meant she was taken by force, and it seemed like from Ling's description that she had only a little bit of freedom. Or she was on the run from something. He couldn't be sure. But Ling's report seemed trustworthy. He hadn't necessarily mentioned Kaela to him in all but passing, and Ling knew her full name as well.

That was enough to win his trust for now.

There was a rustling across from him, and Ed looked up to see Ling stand. When the other boy caught his eye, he shrugged. "That's all I can tell you. We didn't have an interaction long enough to give you any more details."

"No, that was more than enough, Ling." He stood. "Thank you. A lot of weight has been lifted from my shoulders."

Ling hesitated, shock flashing in his face as if he couldn't believe the Fullmetal Alchemist was _thanking_ him. But he quickly sobered into an easygoing smile, one that was softer than what he usually gave the westerners. "I'll see you! By the way, don't turn me into the military, I'm on the run for illegal immigration!"

And with that, he hopped out of the window, despite Ed's cries of surprise and anger. He was gone down the street before Edward could call out his name.

Behind him, Al placed a hand on his shoulder. He could tell his brother was overjoyed from the news from the glow in his eye. "I think this is a sign, Brother. I think everything will be alright in the end."

"I sure hope you're right, Al." In truth, Ed felt the same. His heart was light, despite the news of death still fresh in the air.

There was a heavy knock on the door, and Armstrong's voice called out from the other side.

* * *

 **I ended here when Armstrong breaks down the brothers' door. I'm not really big on adding cannon any further into my story unless we're talking impact on Kaela's knowledge of the world around her. At least until everyone is reunited (which they will be, spoiler!).**

 **Much love for all of you!**


	14. New Resolve

**Hello! I'm back again with a new chapter! To be honest, I feel like the scenes in this chapter go a little fast for how much happens, but ... whatever.**

 **College starts next week, so I might be busy for a while. So, stay tuned for a new chapter of Support!**

 **As always, read and review :)**

* * *

New Resolve

* * *

There was a room off to the side of where Father's lair was where the homunculi seemed to meet up. Rather than use it as a social common room, however, they used it to discuss plans and to exchange information. Although, Kaela got the feeling that they never let on all of what they knew. Whether it was because she was in the room or the fact that they did not trust each other with certain information, she wasn't sure of which.

It was in this room that Kaela was assigned her first mission for the homunculi.

"You want me to what?" She unfolded her arms and pushed herself from the wall she was leaning against.

"Free one of our chimeras, little dove. It won't be too difficult. All you need to do is wait for the signal and then open the cage door. You won't have to get your hands too dirty this way." Lust examined her gloved hands and pulled them on a little tighter.

"And what happens to the chimera I free?" Kaela made her way over to Lust so that she was standing in front of her. "Does he go rampage on the city?"

"As much as Envy would enjoy that sort of thing, no. We need this chimera to silence a certain suit of armor." Lust waved her hand casually when she noticed the color drain from Kaela's face. "Oh, don't worry so much, dove. It isn't that friend of yours. He's an important _sacrifice_ after all."

Kaela's heart slowed once she realized Lust wasn't talking about Al. She absentmindedly moved a hand to her chest. If she had sent someone to attack Al, she wouldn't have forgiven herself. Even if the odds were for the boy, she still wouldn't. Even if she were doing it to save him, she wouldn't.

However, the woman's last phrase piqued Kaela's interest. Sacrifice? She had heard the homunculi use the term in passing, but it was stuck in her mind. Should she ask about it? No, that would be a stupid move, and the homunculus would tighten her lips up even more. So Kaela decided to try and figure things out for herself.

"Okay. Do I just release him from the chimera room, or what?" Kaela asked.

"If we did that, he would certainly try to kill the others in the room. The chimera is a little eccentric. More so than the others." Lust glanced over at the enormous, rotund man on the other side of the room who was sucking his figure and glaring at a wayward rat hungrily. Kaela had come to know him as Gluttony. "We'll help you move the cage into a corridor where you can set the poor thing free away from the others."

Kaela frowned and placed her hands on her hips. "How do I know it won't attack me?"

Lust took the time to look Kaela over. Again, it didn't seem like she disliked her apart from the fact that she was human. Lust gave the impression that she was fairly neutral toward Kaela. So when she was sizing the younger girl up, Kaela was aware she would be getting straight answers instead of the snide comments she received from Envy from time to time.

"If you're truly part homunculus, the chimera should recognize you as it's master. Though you are a half-breed, so I'm not entirely sure whether it will respond to the Philosopher's Stone that runs through your veins."

"Wait—"

Lust sighed. "Oh, yes, I forgot we hadn't mentioned it. I suppose I assumed Envy would have supplied you with the information." She took off her gloves, revealing long, scissor-like fingers that definitely couldn't have been hidden by the leather fabric. She grabbed the skin on her chest, sank her claws into her flesh, and ripped apart her own body. Kaela would have gagged if she hadn't noticed that not only was Lust not bleeding, but there was also a large red gem that rested underneath the skin that she had torn apart.

"Is that…"

"Yes. It's a Philosopher's Stone. It makes up the homunculi life force. All of us have one. You, on the other hand, don't since you weren't artificially created. You, little dove, were _born_." Red energy crackled and the wound on her chest closed. "But, since you've been showing signs that you take from your father, I believe that you have the same Stone running in your veins."

"We already figured that out," Kaela remarked. "Massive amounts of blood create a Philosopher's Stone."

Lust shook her head. "Blood is the main ingredient for the Stone, but once blood joins together with the other components, it is far stronger than the original fractions." She raised a brow. "You should know this, dove. It's basic alchemy."

"So you're saying that," Kaela shifted on her feet, her shoes squeaking slightly, "I am a Philosopher's Stone. That's the sum of it."

"Yes, albeit a diluted version of it." Lust rolled her eyes at Kaela's thoughtful expression. "You won't be able to use it for someone who sinned as great as taboo."

"No— well, I admit that did cross my mind," Kaela said, shaking her head. "But I was just wondering how else I am similar to you."

Lust paused and turned away. "Who knows?"

* * *

Ed's horse pawed at the ground while they waited for Armstrong to catch up. However, Ed himself wasn't too focused on his surroundings. According to the Ishvalans living in the ruins of Xerxes, Winry and Michaela's parents were not only helping the Ishval people during the war, but they were also killed by one of their own patients. It wasn't simply a casualty of war; they weren't even on the battlefield. Instead, Yuriy and Sarah were in their tents, away from the fight and fire, when they were murdered.

He wondered how he should tell Winry this. Should he even tell her? Sure, even though the Rockbell doctors were listed as MIA, even Winry knew at a young age that they weren't in this world anymore. But to hear that they were murdered by the very one they had saved … Winry had been through a lot and was tough as nails, but even Ed didn't have it in him to tell her the truth. If things calmed down soon, he would do so. Not right now, though.

Kaela, he knew, wouldn't be okay, either. She had loved the Rockbells as her adopted family, and to hear the news would simply crush her once again. Kaela tended to internalize her worries, he'd noticed, so she wouldn't show or voice her sorrow. But Ed remembered the fitful nightmares she'd had for days when the news came that the doctors' bodies weren't recovered. Kaela had similar dreams after _that day_ , too. He hoped that she wasn't having them again, wherever she was.

"Alright. Let's be on our way, Edward." Armstrong saddled his horse nearby, rousing Ed from his thoughts. Their guide began to move forward, and so did Armstrong. Ed kicked his heels into the horse's sides, spurring him into a walk.

Armstrong glanced over at Ed, and he wasn't hiding his concern as well as he probably thought. Ed sighed before he spoke. "Do you need something, Major?"

"No, young Edward, I was just wondering something," Armstrong said, clearing his throat.

"What is it?"

"Where exactly has Miss Rockbell gone?"

Ed winced. "She's back with Al at the apartments. You saw her yourself, Major," he attempted at evasion.

It didn't work because Armstrong turned his head slightly so that he was watching Ed out of the corner of his eye. "I did not mean your mechanic. I meant her sister, Miss Michaela."

Ed was silent for a minute or so. When making a report about the incident in Dublith, Mustang had called him and asked him the same question. At the time, he hadn't known whether his friend was even alive, so he simply stated that she had disappeared into the night without a word. Ed had decided from the moment he had found out that he would not tell anyone other than his brother that she wasn't entirely human, so that secret was also safe. As far as the military knew, beyond Armstrong and Colonel Mustang, Kaela had resigned from her post as his attendant. But those two were sharper and knew better.

"I'm not sure where she is," Ed finally replied and slouched on his horse. "After that night, she disappeared."

"Do you have an idea where Miss Rockbell might be?" As always, the major was sharper than he looked.

"...There is some evidence that she's been captured. I have every reason to believe it is the homunculi to have done so." He pursed his lips. "But she's been sighted throughout Central, and I've even been passed along a message that was from her."

"Captured? It's hard to believe that she, of all people, would be caught off guard."

"That's what I thought, too. I also think she would have escaped by now. Kae's always been pretty good at slipping through the enemy's fingers."

"Then they must have some leverage against her. She treasures you brothers and her family a lot, so it is not hard to guess what it could be."

"Probably. But Kae probably has a plan. She always has a plan."

"You're right."

* * *

Kaela did _not_ have a plan. At least, not at the moment. With Ed supposedly in Resembool and the military's shaky protection, she didn't see any way that she could escape without Winry being in the clutches of the homunculi's hands.

But, rather than worry about that at the moment, Kaela was a tiny bit more concerned with the frothing chimera in the cage before her. It was a hulking masked man with wild eyes and matted hair, and his fingers and toes were beginning to rot off. He growled at her and she flinched back.

Lust had told her to wait exactly an hour before releasing him, and it was just about time to release him. If Kaela had the blood of the homunculi in her, she would be able to command the chimera.

Hands shaking, she reached over and grabbed the latch to the cage, trying to keep her body as far from the reaching arms as possible. It was less than a second after she unlocked the door that the chimera burst from the cage and pounced on top of her, pinning one of her shoulders to the ground. Its saliva dripped onto her face, and its pupils dilated. Whatever was mixed with this corpse was hungry, and Kaela knew it.

The chimera stared for a few moments. Without warning, it snapped down toward her neck. Thankfully, Kaela's honed reflexes had her raising her free arm without thought, and the chimera bit into her forearm instead of the vital points in her neck.

For the first time in a long time, Kaela grew angry. Truly angry. Furious. Enough so that she didn't feel the pain when the chimera's fangs hit bone.

And it wasn't just the fact that there was a chimera trying to tear her arm off. It was this whole situation. She was angry that she had to work for her enemy. She was angry that she had been captured by them in the first place. She was angry that she had ever found out of her mixed blood. She was angry she wasn't born like a regular person. She was angry that she had felt disgusted by herself and angry that she had been hanging onto things of the past as a motivator to help others.

She was infuriated.

Kaela ripped her arm from the monster's teeth, and the fangs dragged long, vertical wounds along her arm that were deep enough that she could see white. But she was ready to fight. Kaela kicked at the chimera's stomach, sending it flying with a strength that her tiny body couldn't possibly possess. Rolling over and pushing herself up to stand, she noticed something strange through her fury.

A familiar, blood-red crackle of energy rippled across the deep tears in her arm. The wounds began to close, and eventually, the skin was seamlessly repaired. Kaela stared in awe before remembering the chimera on the opposite wall of the narrow corridor. She looked up at it, noticing its submissive, hunched posture and light whimpering.

"Go and do as you are told," she growled, thrusting the uninjured arm into the darkness. The beast-man took off with a fearful howl and disappeared around a corner. Kaela let out a heaving sigh and slid against the wall to the floor.

If this wasn't an indicator that she was a homunculus, she didn't know how else to prove it. The red alchemic energy was probably one of the bigger signs, but the fact that she could heal herself without a sigil was beyond belief.

Kaela inspected her arm, pressing where she believed the wounds originally were. There was no pain, no scarring, and no bruising. It bewildered her how well the ripped flesh seemed to sew itself back together. Sure, Kaela was proficient at healing alchemy. But this kind of work was unbelievable! What would normally take her several days took her only a few seconds.

This news devastated her. The average person may have marveled and rejoiced at these abilities that originally lied dormant, but not her. It only confirmed the fact that she was not human. She wasn't like the rest of her friends and family.

Kaela pressed the heels of her palm into her eyes, attempting to stop the flow of tears from leaking out. Her breaths came in and out, often interrupted and spasmic. She drew her knees closer, curling herself into a ball on the damp floor.

"I didn't take you for someone to be scared of a little scuffle," a voice called out from the inner chambers. Kaela didn't have to look up to know it was Envy. "But here you are, a sobbing mess."

"I'm not afraid of that thing." Kaela's voice came out hoarse and raspy. A few hiccups broke up her words. "I'm afraid of what I've become."

"So what? You can heal a hundred times faster than those idiots running around upstairs. Isn't that something you should be happy about?" Kaela heard movement in front of her, and she removed her hands to see that he had crouched down before her. The genuine concern in his face was disturbing. "Look at you. All gross and sticky for something great."

"It's not great. I'm not human anymore. I'm a _monster_."

"Well, I'm a little offended." Envy scoffed and looked toward the direction of where the chimera had run off. He sounded far more gentle than usual. Strange, so strange. "And you've never been human, right? It's how you were born. There isn't anything wrong with that."

This only made Kaela bury her face into her knees and let out an embarrassing wail. God, Envy was the absolute last person she wanted to see her cry. But he pulled on her arms and she tumbled into an awkward embrace. This was also the last person she wanted to hug, but she was too upset to move.

"I think this is what humans do," Envy muttered to himself, patting Kaela on the back slowly. Eventually, her sobs died down and his pats became smoother. "You probably don't realize this, but it's not like you're not _not_ human. You still have it in you. After all, you can perform some alchemy, although having only half a soul keeps you from being able to do even the basic stuff. And these weird abilities? They're just a part of you. You are you. And I am me. You're not like other humans because no human is like the other. See?"

She lifted her head from his chest, looking up at that arrogant face. Kaela had never expected anything like that from him.

"You look ugly." And there it is.

"Well, excuse me for looking like a total mess after my emotional breakdown," she said, a half-smile forming on her face. "Where did you learn to say all that?"

"Some boring human books, maybe? I don't know, I just wanted you to stop looking so nasty. It was gross." Envy was back to being Envy, disregarding the giant, wet blotch on his cropped tank.

Kaela snorted. Envy might have been a jerk, but there was something under there. It was small and deeply hidden, but it was there. She pushed herself up again and Envy did the same. "You know, you're really stupid."

Envy seemed a little shocked when she threw his words right back at him, but given that she looked like a freak at the moment and couldn't be taken seriously, she wasn't surprised when he shook it off with a click of his tongue.

He opened his mouth to retort, but the sounds of explosions echoed through the hallway, along with blood-curdling screams. His eyes hardened for a moment before the usual empty mirth returned. "That sounds pretty bad. I'll go guard the entrance, just in case. Why don't you go make sure Lust and Gluttony are still alive?"

With that, Envy turned on his heel, as the ordeal had never happened. Kaela watched him go before turning around, only to hear the constant firing of guns.

"Please let everyone be alright," Kaela prayed as she took off down the dark path. Her steps on the welded metal echoed eerily louder than the noises floating down the corridor. Her heart squeezed when the explosions started up again, along with a more feminine scream than the howl before it.

Kaela's surroundings changed from sewers into dark hallways with concrete flooring and dry surfaces. All the noises soon died down, and Kaela could only hear her heavy breathing and footfalls.

A figure approached in the dark and Kaela slowed to a stop. With a thrumming pulse, Kaela watched as the Fuhrer himself stepped into sight. He walked calmly, hands wrung behind his back and eyes narrowed straight ahead, which happened to be right where Kaela was standing. She stood still, remembering the man's bloody uniform and cold eyes when they had last met. He was also probably informed of her missing status, being a familiar face in Central's offices.

But he didn't say anything as he walked toward her, passing by her without looking in her general direction. Kaela almost sighed with relief till he stopped a few steps behind her. Neither person turned around as he spoke.

The Fuhrer only said one sentence; however, it was enough to have Kaela shivering.

"So, you're Father's newest pet."

Kaela's mind drew to a halt until the man had gone and his footsteps had faded into quiet. The head of the military knew about the man underground. What else did he know?

Could it be possible that he was on the homunculi's side?

A gravelly moan came from the left. Kaela turned slowly to notice there was an open doorway, and as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she found a body in a pool of blood on the floor inside.

She rushed inside, kneeling next to it. It was dressed in all black, including a head wrapping and gloves. Two stab wounds pierced his lower back, and Kaela immediately knew they were positioned in places where there were large bundles of nerves connecting to the lower body.

"Okay, okay," she said, pulling out a pair of her alchemy gloves from her pocket. She slid them on when the man groaned and turned his head. "Shh, I'm going to help you."

"Michaela?"

Kaela held her breath, recognizing the voice as Second Lieutenant Jean Havoc's. She spared him a glance before clapping her hands together and getting to work. He let out a cry and she apologized repeatedly.

"What are you— argh! — what are you doing here? You've been … urk ... missing for almost two weeks!" Havoc had to squint to focus on her, tensing his muscles at the pain through his back and stomach.

"Look, Second Lieutenant, do you want an explanation or do you want to live?" The familiar green alchemy calmed her, and for a few moments, she was able to forget about the red energy that had been there about ten minutes before. "Relax, Havoc. You need to relax or I can't help you."

Kaela began by closing the wound on the back, making sure it was solid and stable enough to keep the blood from leaking out. Then she rolled Havoc over onto his back, earning a roar of pain from the soldier. More careful on the stomach, she began closing up the wound again.

"Why don't you just … come back?" Havoc asked between pants. "Whatever you're hiding from … the military can protect you from it."

Kaela was silent. She thought back to only a few moments before when she had met King Bradley in the hall. "I doubt it. What I'm running from is a lot bigger than the military."

He didn't comment after that. Kaela was almost worried he'd died on her, but the unsteady rise and fall of his chest said otherwise. She knew this would only last a few more moments, as she could hear the clanking metal of those recognizable boots nearing the room, so she tried to speed up the process as much as she could without hurting Havoc.

"You're dearly missed, you know." His voice sounded a bit far away. "It's not just those two brothers. Colonel Mustang, First Lieutenant Hawkeye, and the rest of us … we've noticed your disappearance."

"I'm glad to hear that."

Havoc's breathing evened out and he passed out. Murmurs in the corridor outside spurred Kaela to jump away from Havoc and into the back room, where she hid next to the windows shielded by shadow.

Al and Riza Hawkeye entered the room, along with two paramedics. Kaela's heart squeezed when she saw her friend and longed to be at his side just as she had two days prior, but she didn't move. They were all instantly on the ground at Havoc's side, Hawkeye muttering unintelligibly to the unconscious man. One of the paramedics began feeling around the wound area and frowned.

"Strange," he said, prodding lightly at Havoc's stomach. "The wound is already closed."

The other medic felt under the man's back and announce that the injury there was healed, too. Everyone looked down at Havoc in confusion except for Al. Instead, he glanced around until he noticed the back room. He stood up and made his way over into the darkness.

"Kaela?" he called out softly. She didn't answer and hoped his eyes hadn't adjusted to the shadows just yet. He moved a few steps toward and reached out, inches away from her head.

"Alphonse, we're going," Hawkeye said from the doorway. They had loaded the soldier onto a stretcher and were leaving the way they had come in. Al looked in that direction, with only his eyes visible in the dark.

"Okay," he said, and finally stepped away from Kaela. She let out a breath as he reached the doorway, but he looked back one more time. This time, she felt his stare through her. He knew she was there. "Come home soon."

With that, the armored boy left, following after the medics and Hawkeye. Kaela allowed herself to choke out a sob, but there weren't any tears. Instead, a new resolve had risen in her.

She would escape from Father's grasp. Whether it was now or later, she would get away.

Kaela left the room and ran down the hall in the opposite direction that Al had gone, into the growing darkness.

* * *

 **Wow, you've made it to the end!**

 **I'd like to mention that this chapter was kind of difficult to write as there wasn't much for scenery. Everything is so dark and damp! I almost named it Into the Dark in reference to that, but it's cool. I also kind of showed my inner Envy-trash and wrote a cute scene with him uwu.**

 **As a question for the readers, do you like Envy's character? Why or why not?**

 **See you next time!**


	15. Becometh Mine Own Enemy

**Hallo! I'm back! How are you all? College is eating me alive, but I'm a bit masochistic, so it's ok. I've made a lot of friends and I enjoy [most] of my classes. Unfortunately, this amount of fun makes it very hard to write this story! But don't worry! I will be pulling this shit out of my ass as much as possible.**

 **On another note, I apologize for the shortness of the chapter. As I said before, I'm the big busy. It's a sad time. BUT! The ideas are rolling! And once we get to the northern episodes, we will have a reunion *spoiler!* (maybe? it could be earlier, who knows)**

* * *

Becometh Mine Own Enemy

* * *

Father sat before Kaela on his deformed throne with an ironically heavenly light shining down from above and effectively illuminating his impassive face. She was kneeling before him, forced by a hand on the back of her neck. As much as she wanted to run away, the grip of the Fuhrer was far too strong for her to fight.

The minute she had come back from the labyrinth that was the sewers, King Bradley had grabbed her and forced her in front of the giant man before her who possessed a familiar face unstained with emotion. She didn't even try to struggle despite her fear; Kaela understood what she had done wrong.

In the shadows, she could see Gluttony chewing on one of his fingers. Although she couldn't empathize with him, Kaela did feel a little sorry for the poor guy. In the duration that Kaela had known her, Lust had watched over Gluttony as a mother.

"You … why have you been brought before me again?" Father's eyes drifted lazily across Kaela's hunched form then flicked to King Bradley. "What is the matter?"

The grip on Kaela's neck tightened. "This girl did nothing while Lust was killed."

"That's not true!" Kaela blurted out. She wasn't entirely sure why she was defending herself, but Kaela had a notion that it wouldn't be a good idea to stay quiet and admit to the accusations. "When I heard the fighting, I came as quickly as I could."

"You came too late." The anger in the Fuhrer's voice was blatant and nearly boiling over. Kaela realized she had never heard this tone before, but it sent shivers through her body. "Besides, you healed a man who was supposed to die."

There was no answer to that. Kaela wasn't able to come up with a reason on the fly that either Father or Bradley would accept. Instead, she stared directly into the enormous man's eyes before her. If she was to die for this, she would die with confidence, even if her trembling hands tied behind her back betrayed her. She didn't regret using her alchemy on Havoc, even if she died for it.

But death never came for her. Instead, Father's eyes narrowed, showing a bit of interest for the first time. "Healing?"

Oh, no. This couldn't be good.

"The girl performed healing alchemy on the soldier."

Father shifted in his seat. "If I had known that Greed's daughter could utilize alchemy despite only having half a soul, I wouldn't have let her leave."

Images floated into Kaela's head. The boiling vat. A familiar hand holding hers. A cocky grin. The day it rained while she stood in front of the Rockbell's door.

"Why did you let me go in the first place?" Kaela asked, finding herself curious even in her predicament.

"You were boring and wouldn't die," Father stated as if that was a perfectly clear and reasonable explanation.

Kaela didn't understand it, but she wasn't going to prod further. This man was a mad man. He seemed cool and collected, but under that thin layer was a big hunk of crazy. If she made the wrong move here, Father would kill her in an instant.

"Instead," Father paused, raking over her hunched form with mildly interested eyes, "Let's make something useful out of you. Before, I would have simply selected Greed, but with Lust gone, it does away with the matter of defection."

"...What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to give you what you've been wanting. A _Philosopher's Stone_." Father raised a hand slowly from his throne, a small pile of red dust spawning seemingly without effort. Gluttony's head raised from the shadows.

"L-Lust?"

Father inspected the dust momentarily before affirming Gluttony's thoughts. "Yes, this one is Lust." As he spoke, the dust particles liquified and congealed until they were formed into a perfect sphere with a diameter of a person's thumb. With his other hand, he motioned to King Bradley. "Bring her here, Wrath."

Bradley picked her up by the scruff of her neck, nearly ripping the blue sweater she was still wearing. Kaela tripped as he shoved her forward, effectively scraping the palms of her hands when she caught herself. The Fuhrer barked at her, and she scurried forward so that she was mere inches from the feet of the enormous man, the humiliation burning on her ears hidden by the fear the paled her face.

"Good. Let's see what you can do, child." Father placed his hand on her head, almost caressing her, before gripping her hair and pulling her upward so that her feet were dangling in the air. She audibly winced, sharply sucking in a deep breath to deal with the pain, and Father took that opportunity to put the red sphere into her mouth. Kaela swallowed out of reflex.

The world went white. Whatever pain Kaela had been feeling, it had been tripled — no, quadrupled. She didn't feel Father drop her to the ground, but she curled up into a fetal position, convulsing, clawing at her throat. It burned, no, it was ripping her esophagus, her stomach, it was fighting its way out. Oh, God, it hurt. She couldn't see, her ears were ringing, her mouth foamed. Someone, help her, please. Oh, God. Images of Ed flashed in front of her, and she reached out toward the familiar blond tresses. Tears streamed from her blinded eyes. Please, God, if you're out there —

It stopped. For a few moments, Kaela believed herself to be dead. However, she felt herself being picked up bridal style, callous and firm hands that originally shoved her around and abused her now gentler than silk. She opened her eyes to see King Bradley's now calmed face. She opened her mouth to speak, but blood welled up in her throat, and she had to cough it up before she could say anything.

"What did you … _urk_ … what'd you do to me?" She asked, gazing up at the Fuhrer. His eyes widened a fraction from shock.

"She still retains her own consciousness, hm?" Father's voice sounded so far away. "Strange. If it failed, the host should have died. Search for the tattoo."

Kaela was set down. She watched with hazy vision as Bradley turned over her limbs, searching her skin for the familiar tattoo that she theorized would have appeared on her skin if the procedure had worked.

"Here it is, Father."

It took Kaela a few seconds to register that the Fuhrer had lifted up both the sweater and the button-down that she was wearing and had exposed the skin up to her bra. She found she didn't have the strength or willpower to resist when King Bradley touched just below her sternum. Where he prodded, the skin felt raw, and the cool, underground air licked it in a soothing manner.

"So it was a success, after all." As Kaela's vision began to go dark, her head lolled to the side so that she could see Father. "Welcome once again, little Michaela."

He smiled.

* * *

After kicking Ling and Lan Fan out of the room, and Winry had gone back to bed, Ed lay in his bed staring at the ceiling. He found himself doing that a lot lately. Perhaps it was the stress of recent events that were getting to him, or maybe he was taking too many naps, but his mind was usually far more active at night than usual. He glanced over at Al, who was currently reading a novel on the floor.

His brother glanced up, feeling Ed's eyes on him. "Brother?"

"It's nothing," Ed said, rolling over to face the wall. He didn't want to worry Al with his thoughts.

"You're thinking about her again, aren't you?"

"...yeah," he admitted. Al knew him better than he knew himself, as always. He was silent for a few more moments before he spoke again. "I keep wondering what we would do if we succeeded in drawing the homunculi out and Kaela was among them."

Ed heard Al shift slightly, the metal creaking as it pushed against the joints. "She wouldn't join their side, Brother. You know she wouldn't do that."

"But they need her for something, right? They haven't killed her yet, so they think they can use her. Kaela is smart and resourceful, and she's a good shot. That would be helpful to anyone. Or maybe she'll be used as bait, which would become a hostage situation. And what if they've brainwashed her? They would pit us against each other, and I'm not sure I could—" Ed paused, his breath catching. "I'm not sure I could hurt her. Not like that."

Al was quiet. He knew his brother and Kaela had a bond similar to Ed and his own; a bond that couldn't be broken. Yet that also meant that it was a weak point and could be used easily against either one of them. What Ed was thinking were very real possibilities, and Al wasn't sure he could assure Ed that they wouldn't happen.

Instead, he said, "I think I saw Kaela in the tunnels."

Ed rolled back over to face his brother. "What? Why didn't you tell me this?" His lips were in a line, drawn taut with anticipation.

"I wasn't sure at the time that she was there, and I'm still not. But Havoc would have died if his wounds hadn't been closed. You know that that's Kaela's handiwork."

Ed did know this. In the back of his mind he had questioned just how Havoc's injuries had healed just enough so that he wouldn't bleed to death. Even deeper within, Ed had wondered if it had been his best friend.

"So she's alive, at least." He sighed. "That's something we can be happy about. And she used healing alchemy on Havoc, so she's probably still on our side."

It was silent for a while after that. Al spoke up just before Ed finally fell asleep.

"Hey, Brother?"

"Yeah?"

"I really miss her."

"Me too, Al."

* * *

Kaela awoke in the cell she had taken to sleeping in. Her whole body ached, and the tips of her fingers were numb. She groaned and sat up, taking deep breaths to help wash away the ebbing pain.

"We should really stop doing this." Envy's familiar voice roused her from her daze, and she looked to the source's direction. He sat on a crate, looking quite irritated despite the smirk in his voice. "You need to get a grip and stop drawing attention to yourself. Now look what you've done. You're a monstrosity that falls beyond a normal homunculus. You can probably effectively escape, but I personally don't recommend it.."

"What?" That last bit was confusing.

"Let me put it this way," Envy said with a customary eye roll. "You survived a procedure that has a seventy-five percent fail rate. You are now around three fourths homunculus rather than just half. You did not take on Lust's consciousness, giving you free will to do whatever you want with your powers. And," he pointed at Kaela's arms, "you are showing signs of not only Lust's abilities, but Greed's as well."

Kaela glanced down and drew in a sharp gasp. Blackened claws around the length of a shortsword sprouted from her fingers, followed by some torn bandages and up her arm was a familiar black sheet, glossy as it were metal yet malleable enough for her to move around in. The new skin seemed to trail all the way up to her elbows.

Kaela also noticed that she was wearing different clothing which was the same color as all of the homunculi clothes. She was sporting high waisted, skin tight pants that reached past her belly button, and a similarly tight halter top that ended just under her breasts, revealing an exposed upper abdomen. And there, printed in the central cavity of her ribcage, was an Ouroboros tattoo.

"Oh, no." That was all Kaela could manage out.

"Oh, yes. Look what you've gotten yourself into, kiddo," Envy said. His tone wasn't laced with its usual vicious mockery. "I warned you not to do anything stupid. Now, look at you. You're one of us, now."

He spat out the word "us" with so much disgust that Kaela jumped. She felt as though from that one sentence, she understood so much more about Envy. It wasn't humans that Envy hated so much; rather, he _envied_ them. It was himself that he hated.

Despite her own hypocritical self-loathing, Kaela pushed herself up from the cot and made her way over to the crate Envy was sitting upon. He leaned away, confused. "The hell? Go back to sleep, you weirdo."

She ignored him, placing a hand on his head, and her claws and steel skin retracted. He flinched. Kaela hoped her feelings reached him. Envy had taken care of her for the last two weeks, and she had grown to care for him even with his foul mouth and quickness to kill. It didn't sit well with her that he felt revulsion for himself.

Envy flinched the moment she touched him, stunned for a few seconds before swatting her arm away. He stood up and nearly smacking the top of his head on the bottom of her chin. "Get lost."

With that, Envy left.

Now alone, Kaela tried to extend her claws again. It was surprisingly easy, and she could feel the sharpened ends grow and extend until they touched the other end of the room. At the same time, a gray shine crept up to her neck. The metal stopped just at her jawline, but Kaela had the feeling it could go farther if she just willed it.

Withdrawing the powers with a foreign red crackle, she sighed and made her way back to the bed. It took everything to not cry right now. She was just barely human now. There was no way she could go back home, back to Ed and Al and Winry and Pinako. She couldn't fight for her country, fight for Ed's limbs and Al's body. She was on the wrong side now. It was irreversible.

While she sat in her bed, staring at the ceiling and swirling those thoughts in her head, the night over Amestris was peaceful.


	16. Girls on the Battlefield

**Hello! As requested, the next chapter of _Support_! I just couldn't wait, and this chapter happened!**

 **As always, rate and review!**

* * *

Girls on the Battlefield

* * *

"There is news of Edward Elric and that man, Scar, battling in the middle of the streets," Fuhrer — no, Wrath — told Kaela as he, Gluttony, and Kaela made their way through the streets. Only moments ago, she had been watching over Gluttony and making sure he didn't cause any unnecessary trouble while he roamed the alleyways, sniffing the air when she had felt the presence of the other Homunculus approaching. Wrath signaled with only a slight wave of the hand as he walked past the side street, and immediately the other two fell in step behind him.

Kaela felt her pulse quicken at the news. She remembered just how dangerous the last encounter with Scar had been; Ed had almost died and Al was ripped apart. The mere thought of the man sent a tremor through her fingers, and Kaela clenched her hand into a fist to control the fear. "What would you have us do?"

"Do your duty as Father's children," Wrath said simply, and Kaela's heart fell. She knew what he meant.

Suddenly, Gluttony jumped between the walls with a quickness that shouldn't have been possible with a body his size. "I smell them! I smell them!"

Wrath didn't even spare Gluttony a glance, as he kept walking. The round Homunculus disappeared out of sight, and Kaela felt a little reluctant to follow this man alone.

A few moments later, there was a crash on a roof further ahead in the direction that Gluttony had run. Kaela found herself rushing past Wrath and toward the source of the blast. She hoped it wouldn't be the brothers …

She was right, but who she saw still surprised her. Gluttony had been thrown back and had destroyed the upper floor of an apartment. He stood up and looked across the street at the two figures standing there, one of which she recognized. It was the man from Xing who had hopefully passed a message on for her.

It appeared he hadn't seen her yet under the thin cloak she had swiped from a stall. (Oh, how her lawful mind cursed her. But the Fuhrer himself was the enemy, so what was the point in following his law anymore?) Currently, the eastern man and his masked companion were taunting Gluttony. Wrath walked past her, calm as ever.

"Oh, you can sense his presence, can you?" He spoke loudly enough for his voice to boom in the street. The people on the roof looked down at him, and, upon noticing her, Kaela watched the eastern man stiffen. Kaela pulled at her hood. But Wrath didn't give him time to say anything; instead, he pulled his sword from its sheath and continued his approach. "That's a pesky ability."

Wrath gained an immense amount of speed, approaching the masked person. The eastern man called out "Lan Fan," possibly the person's name, in warning, but it was too late. In seconds, the Fuhrer had destroyed the mask and revealed an eastern woman's face. She fell to a lower roof like a rag doll, her blood splattering to the brick just after her body.

Kaela instinctively rushed toward her, only to look up and find Gluttony pouncing upon the girl, mouth wide and eyes wild. However, his jump was cut short just as the eastern man sliced his head in half (though in futility; it immediately reformed). He picked her up and jumped away just as Wrath's sword came swinging down on him. They entered a constant attack-dodge cycle, with the man attempting to put as much room between him and Wrath as possible.

Gluttony's fist swung at the man, knocking him and his companion into a nearby building. The Homunculi followed suit shortly.

Kaela knew she had to move, to help the others of her kind, but she couldn't bring herself to. Logically, if she wanted to stay alive, she needed to follow them. She knew this was Wrath giving her one last chance. But she couldn't move.

This man had helped her — he had done a favor for a stranger and she owed him a debt. Was it at the cost of her own life? She didn't know.

What would Edward do? What would Alphonse do?

They would do what was right. But she knew they would also keep each other alive so that they could accomplish their goal.

Where had her spine gone? It had seemed that after her capture she was no longer strong enough to make her own decisions. She had carried many more burdens heavier than the one she was bearing now, so why was everything so difficult to do? All it came down to was the fact that she was weak. She was a weak human and a weak monster.

Kaela couldn't protect anybody. Not even herself.

Explosions echoed through the city to her right. That must be the boys, Kaela thought. Every fiber of her being wanted to run in that direction, to return to the ones she cared most about. But there was a man here to whom she owed a debt.

What would she do?

A bright light flashed from the hole of the building her companions had jumped through, spurning her to move. She had to move. Had to keep going, to keep looking for opportunities. Soon, she thought, would be an opportunity to escape.

Just as she had reached the shattered window ledge, the eastern man had run out of the building with a puff of smoke following him. Wrath sighed, standing up and retrieving his sword that had been lodged in the wooden door frame that the man had disappeared through. He seemed to be only mildly irritated, but when he looked at Kaela, there was a coldness in his eyes that seemed to bring more fury than a raging fire.

"Return underground."

Whatever Michaela was expecting, it hadn't been this. "What?"

"Return to Father now!" He all but yelled. "I have no use for a pawn who won't move across the board."

Kaela's stomach dropped but she gave him a quick nod and disappeared.

The Fuhrer huffed and turned away as she leaped from the building and presumably into the sewer system. "Children are quite irritating, aren't they, Gluttony?"

Gluttony giggled with delight.

* * *

Michaela's feet landed on the damp ground with a thickened thud. Over her head, the hinges from the manhole lid squeaked, as if to alert anyone and anything of her presence nearby. Father was surely alerted, as well, of both her appearance in the sewers and of her failure above.

Though she felt no emotional attachment to the being (he ripped her from her family twice), there was this strange, sick sense of guilt laying in the pit of her stomach, as if she were his child awaiting a scolding. It disgusted Kaela, and she fought her heart to keep it steady.

Wrath and Gluttony were surely chasing after Lan Fan and the Xing man. If she concentrated hard enough, she could hear explosions from above.

Hopefully, she could keep herself from getting in trouble. She didn't want to be in Envy's debt longer than she had to. Kaela wanted him to stay out of her business and visa versa — if not because she didn't want to consort with the enemy, then because she wanted him to be safe from the betrayal she would eventually wreak upon the Homunculi. And, in her heart of hearts, perhaps she also felt —

A splash.

The noise tipped Kaela off, breaking her reverie, and she grew still immediately. The source of the splash sensed her observation, and the sewers became eerily quiet. There wasn't even the sound of dripping water.

If there was one thing that the transformation had done to her that she could welcome, it was heightened senses. She focused her hearing even further, and from around that corner …

Ragged, but stifled, breathing. And there was also the stench of blood. Whoever it was, he or she was injured. If Kaela moved now, she could easily catch them. Although, surely, the person was ready for her.

Kaela always thought through her decisions, but she also knew time was important as well as the outcome. So, after the fleeting thought that could marginally count as a decision being made, she sprinted at the corner with frightening speed — speed she wasn't aware she possessed.

When she rounded the corner, Kaela skidded to a halt, nearly avoiding a kunai aimed at her throat. In this process, her hood had come off, so both people were free to observe their attackers.

Kaela felt her forehead scrunch when she recognized the woman. She was bleeding profusely from a missing arm, but it was still her.

"...Lan Fan?"

The other girl's eyes widened when she heard her name. However, she refused to let down her guard, and she turned her lost appendage away from Kaela as a form of protection. Her hand wielding the knife gripped it tighter.

In response, Kaela lifted her arms, realizing only after the fact that by doing so she flung her cloak behind her shoulders and revealed the Ouroboros tattoo above her navel. She winced, knowing how this must look to the other girl.

The blood dripped noisily to the ground as time seemed to slow for the two girls. Kaela's inner doctor took over, and her fear shifted aside for the more logical trait.

She took a breath. "My name is Michaela Rockbell. I have healing abilities. Let me help you so that your wound doesn't become infected."

The girl's weapon lowered a fraction after hearing the name, and Kaela could see the flash of realization in her dark eyes. But Kaela kept her hands upward. Lan Fan hadn't signaled that she felt safe enough to drop her weapon. However, something in her face told Kaela that she should keep speaking.

"I am close with the Elric brothers; I grew up with them. My sister is the one who made Ed's arm and leg. Please, trust me," Kaela said, hoping her simple explanation and slow words could help calm the girl.

Lan Fan lowered to kunai, but it wasn't because she had accepted Kaela's words. Her eyes fluttered closed and she fell to the ground, convulsing.

Kaela dropped to her knees, forgetting the tension that had been there only moments prior, and took her cloak from her own body, wrapping it around Lan Fan who was shaking violently. Kaela had noticed before, but her pale and clammy skin had gotten even worse by the moment. Though barely conscious, the eastern woman glared at Kaela with feral eyes.

Kaela sighed as she exposed the arm that had been torn off. Did the other Homunculi do this to her? "Your body is going into shock from blood loss. I'm going to temporarily close the wound and rebandage you."

As Kaela moved, she instructed Lan Fan on what she was doing, occasionally checking her pulse as she went. A green light erupted from her hands once she clapped them, the transmutation circle drawn on her palms in Lan Fan's blood. As quickly yet meticulously as possible, Kaela worked to create a thin layer of skin to stop the bleeding. There were a few times where she knew it would be painful for the other girl, but Lan Fan would just grit her teeth and allow no sound to escape.

It took around ten minutes in total. After she closed the wound, she began rubbing circles all over Lan Fan's body. Regaining control, and a little more trust in Kaela, Lan Fan looked down at the other girl between wheezes. "What — what are … you doing … now?"

"I'm making sure the rest of your body is being circulated. We need to keep as much oxygen flow going throughout your body as possible, otherwise, you could fall into another seizure." She moved up to Lan Fan's chest, rubbing soft but firm circular motions on where the heart would be.

"I thought you'd … closed it up … already?" Lan Fan seemed to be drifting off a little.

"Do _not_ fall asleep, okay? I need you to stay awake and tell me how you're feeling." After earning a small nod from the other girl, Kaela moved onto the arm. "I closed the wound temporarily. That skin will probably tear in between now and getting you to the hospital, and we absolutely cannot leave you here where disease thrives. Moving oxygen throughout your body will keep you from re-opening it, number one, and number two, this will probably ease a bit of pain. Do you have someone coming to fetch you?"

Lan Fan's face contorted strangely before relaxing. "My king, he promised to return."

"The eastern man that was with you?"

" … Yes."

"Your friend helped me out, once. I didn't know he was a king."

"He's only a prince, for now," Lan Fan said, her eyes glassy for a moment. "But one day, Ling will rule Xing."

Kaela opened her mouth to say more, but before she could speak, a yell erupted from down the sewer corridor. "Lan Fan!"

A shirtless man ran full speed toward them, and, upon his impending arrival, Kaela realized it was the eastern man himself. "Well, speak of the devil."

The eastern man had noticed Kaela as well, and he skidded to a stop before falling to his knees on the opposite side of Lan Fan. Instead of immediately wailing on her, the man seemed to assess the situation as calmly as he could.

"What do I need to do?" he asked.

Kaela nodded. "Make round motions on her leg like this — no, the other way." She continued to make similar patterns once again on Lan Fan's heart. For a moment, she watched this Xingese man. He looked as though he were in as much pain as the girl lying on the floor. Kaela knew, from the way he would occasionally glance worriedly from Lan Fan's face, to her arm, and his own hands, that he cared a great deal for this woman. She smiled ruefully, remembering how she had once been in a similar situation herself.

She cleared her throat after several seconds, and the man looked up at her. "I hope you have a way to get this girl to a place where she can be safely operated on?"

"I can provide that sort of transportation, Miss Rockbell." Kaela's heart jumped as she looked up and saw Riza Hawkeye herself.

She didn't know whether she saw this as a mistake or an opportunity.

* * *

The car ride had been painfully awkward. With Lan Fan settled on both Kaela and the Xingese man's lap (whose name she learned was Ling) in the backseat, it was silent as Hawkeye kept glancing through the rearview mirror at her. Kaela knew the gears of her superior's mind were grinding quite fast, as she and her tattoo were fully exposed.

Not to mention, a completely tied up Gluttony was shoved in the car as well.

It was dark by the time they arrived at their destination. It was a house far from Central out in the woods, small enough to be called a cabin. Outside, a man with glasses and a stern frown waited with a lantern.

Once the car stopped, Hawkeye and the man, who seemed to be a doctor, helped Kaela and Ling lift Lan Fan out of the car and into the wooden house. No words were spoken besides grunts and occasional directions given by the doctor.

Eventually, Lan Fan was settled onto a cot and Gluttony had been tossed into a side room.

"I've heard you can perform healing alchemy," the doctor noted in a gruff manner, bringing in a tray of sterilized water and tools. Kaela nodded and vocalized affirmation. "Can you cut off her pain sensors for a bit?"

"Not a problem, sir."

With that, the man got to work, his hands and tools illuminated by Hawkeye's lantern and Kaela's alchemy. "Is this bit of skin your work?"

"Yes, sir. It was to stop the blood loss. The patient was going into some serious shock," Kaela said, and the doctor nodded.

"Good work."

And thus, it was quiet once again. It was enough to make Kaela have a hard time focusing on her work, and sometimes she would slip up and Lan Fan would groan. It didn't help that Riza stood over her, asking nothing aloud yet asking always. Time passed, and eventually, Lan Fan's breathing evened out.

The sound of the door creaking open and familiar footsteps entering the house caused Kaela to flinch. Oh God, not now. Why now? And yet, Kaela knew that these were the brothers' friends and they had every right to be here.

So where did that place her?

Luckily, the familiar voices stay in the hall outside the room, along with Ling's. Kaela and Doctor Knox were able to finish their work without any interruptions. However, once she could catch a moment's break, Kaela replaced her now bloodied cloak from Lan Fan with a warm blanket and shielded herself. She could feel Riza's gaze, but she didn't turn to meet it. It was hard enough not running away.

"She's stable for now," she heard the doctor say.

"Well, let's go see how she's doing," that familiar voice replied.

Oh, God, please —

His quiet steps and the clanking of Al's boots shook her to the core. This was a mistake. She wasn't the same Kaela they knew. They were going to be so disappointed —

They leaned on the bed, apparently not having noticed Kaela firmly planted in a chair near Lan Fan's head. The girl opened her eyes blinking slowly.

"Are you okay?" Alphonse's soft voice naturally soothed Kaela, even if they were meant for someone else.

"Is there anything we can do?" Edward, whom her heart immediately jumped for, leaned further into the bed, and Kaela looked away, hoping that the stray black locks wouldn't give her away.

"Your trap wasn't all that bad," Lan Fan managed to say. "But I'm useless now. I'll need a replacement arm.

A moment of silence, the shifting of automail. "Yeah, I can hook you up with a great automail mechanic."

"Is she as good of a mechanic as her sister is a healer?"

"What … how do you know about —"

Lan Fan must have motioned to Kaela because there was another silent moment, just before Kaela's hood was pulled back slowly, revealing her face full of fear and guilt.

Ed, who still had his hand on her cloak, didn't say a word. Kaela noticed Mustang, who in turn gave her a look of genuine surprise before motioning the doctor and Hawkeye to leave the room.

"Kaela?" Al's voice came from the helmet like a child's. Upon hearing her name, Kaela flinched. It had been a while since someone had used it. At least with that tone.

She cleared her throat, and for some reason, Kaela had to look anywhere but at the brothers who were towering over her. "Er, yep. It's me. How … how have you two been?"

"You … are here?" Ed asked, ignoring her question. His hand moved from the cloak to her hair, brushing his fingers through the dark strands, to her cheek, where he caressed her skin with the pad of his thumb. Strange as it was for him, Kaela leaned into his touch unconsciously without a thought for it.

There was a growing embarrassment, and Kaela could feel it in the form of heat rising to her face. She stood up suddenly, causing Ed's hand to fall from her face. "Let's take this elsewhere." Maneuvering around the boys, who were still slack-jawed, she left the room and effectively the house, ignoring the watchful stares of the adults and Ling. She exited the house and moved a few yards away to look up at the moon. She hoped — prayed, even — that for once the Homunculi and Father wouldn't show up, excluding Gluttony. Just this one night. She could forget that underlying anxiety and forget about the whole ordeal that had transformed her from human to monster.

No, there was no forgetting that. She would have to face the truth.

Before she could turn around, a sudden force caused her to stumble forward. She quickly realized that Ed had embraced her from behind, much to heart's delight. He buried his eyes into her neck, squeezing her waist and inhaling deeply. He mumbled something, something she couldn't quite make out.

Gently, she unfolded his arms just enough so that she could turn around and face him. However, he refused to remove his head from where he had settled it before. "Ed, let me see your face. I haven't seen it in a while."

He shook his head. Behind Ed, she saw Al standing awkwardly behind him, looking lonely. She couldn't help but smile as she reached out her hand, which the younger boy immediately took into his leather gloves. "I missed you two. I hope you weren't getting into too much trouble while I've been away."

Apparently, this was the wrong thing to joke about because Ed's hands were abruptly on Kaela's shoulders before he pushed her out to arm's length, causing Al to be forced to let go. His eyes were tinged with red around the rims. "Do you — Kaela, are you even aware of how Al and I felt? How we felt while you were God knows where?"

Kaela felt her face twist. She knew she probably looked like a wounded puppy. "Ed, I was captured. Did my message not get to you?" She looked between the brothers, hoping it had.

Ed's hands dropped, and she felt a little more lonely. "We did. I'm just … taking out my frustration." His chin met his chest and his metal hand palmed his forehead, wiping down his face.

Kaela paused before letting a sigh escape. She wanted to run from the nasty truth, to pretend everything was all right and the past month hadn't happened. But, even if this was a moment she had dreaded ever since she'd learned of her true birthright, Kaela would have to face her demons and tell the brothers everything, including her recent transformation. Now was the time to fill them in on serious matters, which would, unfortunately, cut the moment of relief and happiness short.

"There is a lot we must discuss," she began, meeting Ed and Al's eyes. Within their presence, she could feel her self-esteem returning. Instead of being in a frame of mind that was anxious and frightened, she was able to settle into a less emotional state and saw their positions from a more logical point of view. Still, a part of her wanted to stall a bit longer. "But first, we should probably deal with the present problems."

Al nodded, but Ed stood there for a few moments, studying her face. He looked as though he had much to say at that moment, but wasn't sure how to go about it. Finally, he huffed and turned away. "Right. Let's go meet with Ling first, and then we'll line up your story with his afterward."

* * *

 **You did it!**

 **I'm sorry the reunion was a little (lot) rushed. I just get the feeling that Kae is avoiding all her problems, which include her feelings. Obviously, the boys would like to take their time, but the situation demands their immediate attention *shrug*.**

 **Thanks as always for reading!**


End file.
